Sporting passion is fuelling blind footballer Azeem Amir’s ambitions on and off the pitch.
As an England international, the 24-year-old is preparing for the International Blind Sports Federation World Games in Birmingham in August and hopes to be lining up at the Paralympics in Paris next year.
Away from the training and match action, Rochdale-based Amir is putting his talents to further good use by running his own disability awareness programme.
Launched two years ago, Learn With ESS (Education, Sport and Speaking) provides interactive sessions for schools, colleges, businesses and sports clubs to help people gain a better understanding of disability in a fun and engaging way.
Amir fronts workshops, delivering inspirational talks and organising games, with footballs, blindfolds and other props never far away.
“I came up with this idea about giving people a better understanding of disability in a more practical way, through workshops, through an immersive experience,” Amir told the PA news agency.
“We use those three elements, education, sport and speaking, to deliver a really practical programme and hopefully one that people come away from with a better understanding of, not just a disability, but having had a challenge.
“It’s just over two years since the idea was on a piece of paper. To think of where we’ve got to now it’s huge.
“I really hope that it grows and we get to work with more groups, come up with more ideas and innovate as we learn, and we go on in our journey, not just delivering to people but also figuring out what society needs to be better educated on.”
Learn With ESS, which has both a business and a charitable element, has grown considerably and Amir finds himself with a busy schedule into which he must fit his own football.
A midfielder for Merseyside Blind FC, Amir trains up to seven times a week with coaches either on his game or on his fitness.
With the domestic season over, the main focus now is on international football with Amir last week named in the England squad for the IBSA World Games. With Paris 2024 qualification spots up for grabs, the excitement is building.
“Fingers crossed we can make it happen,” said Amir, a Manchester United fan. “That’d be unbelievable.
“There’s been a big push over the last few months. We’ve been to Brazil, to France, to Romania, playing different tournaments, having training camps, just to prep ourselves in readiness for the Paralympic Games qualifiers.
“I just hope that we get some luck and with a bit of hard work and graft we can make it happen.
“I love football, I really do. There’s no buzz I can think of that replicates it.
“But I don’t want to get hung up on the outcome. You want to make sure you enjoy every single minute, whether that’s training locally or representing your country in the crunch moments.”
Amir admits juggling his twin devotions can be difficult but, ultimately, it is highly rewarding.
“It’s a challenge but I’ve got a good family network, good support,” he said. “I feel like I’m adding something to the world. I’ve got good people and I enjoy what I do. There’s nothing better than that.”
Postecoglou thinks Spurs can end Guardiola's Premier League dominance
Ange Postecoglou relishes the opportunity to challenge Pep Guardiola’s Premier League dominance after he signed a contract extension with Manchester City.
It was announced by City on Thursday that Guardiola will stay at the club until 2027 after agreeing a new two-year deal, taking his time at the Etihad to over a decade.
Under Guardiola (since 2016-17), City have lost more Premier League games (six) and conceded more goals (22) against Spurs than they have against any other opponent in the top-flight.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that, despite the City boss having lifted the Premier League trophy in six of the last seven seasons, Postecoglou was happy his competitor was remaining at the helm.
"I look at it the other way, imagine you knock him off? That would be something, eh?,"Postecoglou began.
"And I'm at the stage of my life where I'd rather have a chance of knocking him off than missing that opportunity. In the right way, obviously.
"I think when greatness is around, you want to be around it. Hopefully it challenges you to be like that as well.”
Postecoglou is preparing to travel to face City in the league on Saturday during Guardiola’s worst run of form of his career.
City have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions. The Citizens last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (six – the fifth game of which was also against Tottenham).
It could present the perfect opportunity for the Australian boss to start his ascent on Guardiola’s dominance, though he will have to face demons of his own as his side have won just two of their last 11 Premier League away games (D2 L7).
"I love the fact that there is a massive target out there that can seem insurmountable. It does for me anyway, raises my level, gets me going,” he added.
"I love the challenge of that and I never see that as a bad thing."
New Man Utd boss Amorim: 'I will do my thing, my way'
Ruben Amorim insisted "I will do my thing, my way" at Manchester United rather than concerning himself with where his predecessors went wrong.
The 39-year-old will be on the touchline for his first game as United head coach on Sunday as they face Ipswich Town, taking over from caretaker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Amorim was confirmed as the new head coach at Old Trafford at the start of November after Erik ten Hag was sacked following a poor run of results.
The former Sporting CP boss will not look to the past for answers, however, as he looks to turn the fortunes of United around.
"I will not try to find out the right thing to do or try to find out what was missing with Erik ten Hag, with Jose Mourinho, with Louis van Gaal," Amorim told Sky Sports.
"I will not try that because I think it's a waste of time. They chose me because they saw something and I do something in a clear way.
"I really don't know what the [other managers] missed here but I know I will do my thing, my way and try to find out what is missing in my way of seeing football."
Ten Hag guided United to two trophies but struggled to maintain form across all competitions as they fell to a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.
It adds to the persistent struggles of the club since the departure of Alex Ferguson as, despite their illustrious history, United have failed to win a league title since 2013. But Amorim believes he can deliver success.
"We will have really hard moments but, in the end, I truly believe that we are going to succeed," he said.
"The first impression is that it's so big, with a lot of departments. I came from a big club in a small country. Here is a different world.
"You have a lot to do. You are not just a coach. You have to be something more.
"So it's a little bit different, but I think I'm prepared for that. And it's Manchester United. It doesn't matter the last years."
Amorim enjoyed great success at Sporting, winning two league titles.
He took charge of 231 games in all competitions, the most in the club's history, and won 164 of those matches, losing just 33 times, with his 71% win percentage also a club record-high mark. His team scored 510 goals, averaging 2.2 per game.
After a successful four-game stint for interim boss Russ van Nistelrooy, Amorim officially took over at Old Trafford on November 11.
He is, however, understanding that fans may still be wary of the future, given what has come before.
"I know that at this moment our fans are with mixed feelings - 'I want to be excited, but I have been here so I'm a little bit afraid. It's the same story all the time. I can be disappointed,’" said Amorim.
"So what I can say is that I'm really excited. I'm not afraid to show it. But I have a clear idea that this will take time.
"Don't confuse my happiness with naivety. It's not the same thing. I'm really happy.
"I know what to do. But I have an idea that we are going to suffer a little bit before improving in the way that you should improve."
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