'A new era of football' - the stories behind the Baller League players
Love it or hate it, you can't avoid the debut season of the Baller League UK.
Social media has been full of action and talk about the six-a-side tournament - set up in Germany by entrepreneur Felix Starck alongside footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski - and which is now in its first season in the United Kingdom.
The UK version of the competition is fronted by influencer KSI, the teams are managed by celebrities and the games are live streamed on Twitch.
Rather than the players on the pitch, many of whom are free agents, semi-pros or former professionals, most of the attention is directed towards the multi-millionaire managers on the touchline.
Angry Ginge, Maya Jama and Chunkz are the stars of Baller League. They attract the crowds. They sell the product.
"Baller League - a new era of football" reads Starck's LinkedIn bio. Influencers are the draw for now, but his real goal is to futureproof football by making it more entertaining.
The key is in the "hero storytelling", said Starck in an interview with Business of Sport. So what about the stories of the natural "heroes" playing on the Baller League pitch?
A first look at Baller League - fast-paced & full of flair
What is Baller League? Why are KSI, Lineker & Terry involved?
Marvin Sordell is a name most football fans will recognise,
He starred as a youngster for Watford, appeared for Bolton and Burnley in the Premier League, and featured in Stuart Pearce's Team GB squad at the London 2012 Olympics.
But, after a 10-year career, Sordell retired from the professional game aged 28 back in 2019, citing the impact on his mental health. The pressure of the professional football industry was not worth the toll it was having on him.
Instead of stepping away from football completely, Sordell runs a video production company focused on combining entertainment, art and sport, and a marketing agency which helps brands connect with the worlds of sport, music and entertainment.
Already working in the intersection between sport and entertainment, the 34-year-old didn't hesitate to join Baller League when the opportunity arose - and now plays for Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards' Deportrio FC side.
"Football has been something I've loved since I was a kid," says Sordell. "I was willing to hold on to that love that I have for the game and I knew that wasn't going to stay from being a professional. It just wasn't working, it just wasn't right.
"I was potentially doing some work with them (Baller League) through my marketing agency. We had quite a few conversations before it was even announced and then in one of the meetings they asked if I'd be interested in playing."
Without any trepidation, he jumped at the chance to have fun on a football pitch again.
Sordell had already been playing at different levels and in different formats of the game since he retired from professional football in 2019. From five-a-side games with mates to semi-pro matches with Kettering Town, he was more than ready to roll back the years in Baller League.
Despite the cameras broadcasting the action for Sky Sports, Sordell feels none of the pressure he did as a pro.
The big talking points after matches usually surround the antics of the celebrities rather than the actual gameplay, allowing many of the players to enjoy their football under the radar.
Timelines are filled with videos of ex-England defender Richards dancing, John Terry clashing with former referee Mark Clattenburg on the touchline or Troy Deeney receiving a red card for an unnecessary foul.
"From my perspective, I get to go on Monday, play football and catch up with loads of people I know from the world of football," adds Sordell. "I don't feel like there's the same level of pressure or scrutiny as players in the professional level get because people are there to be entertained.
" A lot of people have reached out to me who are interested in getting involved. I'm interested to see how the affiliation between people watching and clubs develop in terms of growing fanbases. It has the potential to be something quite big."
Sordell on how he overcame his darkest days
Remy Mitchell always dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.
From the age of nine to 18, he progressed through the ranks as a goalkeeper at Arsenal's academy, but was released without the offer of a contract.
He joined Swansea shortly after but, without a senior appearance, Mitchell was again released last summer and has since played non-league football while studying for a degree in business and football management.
The 21-year-old is currently a free agent, but in goal for YouTuber and Sidemen member Tobi "TBJZL" Brown's team VZN FC.
"I'm quite a big fan of a lot of the managers there," says Mitchell. "I've always watched them and it's quite a cool experience to see them all in person. I've watched [TBJZL] since I was 10 and it's quite cool to be coached by him every week."
It's a familiar tale for many players who choose to chase the dream of going pro.
It's a precarious path with no guarantees. Only 0.012% of boys playing organised youth football in the UK will ever play a minute of Premier League football.
Lasse Lehmann, director of Operations and Sports UK for Baller League, reached out to Mitchell directly to offer him a chance to play ahead of former players, such as his idol Ian Wright.
"It's the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of, 6,000 people," adds Londoner Mitchell. "And then there's hundreds of thousands of people watching on YouTube, Sky Sports and Twitch.
"I think if you think about it (the media attention) too much, you'll get a bit inside your head and get pretty nervous. I just try to enjoy it as much as I can."
Baller League is essentially fulfilling its promise - entertaining football that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Mitchell, says: "It does put you in a good spotlight and I've had a lot of good things out of it, like I'm sponsored by a glove brand.
"The football is a lot of fun so I'm happy to keep doing that. I don't know how it will work next season. There are a lot of unanswered questions but nothing bad has come out of it."
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