Wes Foderingham is many things. A talented goalkeeper. A trophy winner. A West Ham United player.
But Foderingham is also a 33-year-old man who grew up in relative poverty in Shepherd’s Bush, west London. The experiences of living, learning and overcoming real adversity throughout his childhood have been marked and forensically retained by him, no matter which route his career has taken.
As was the case, Foderingham’s family was not blessed with wealth. As people around the world unwrapped new clothes, new books or a PlayStation at Christmas, our No21 was given very few presents of much less monetary value. The most cherished? A Rubik’s cube.
That would be the gift that would eventually help him achieve eight A*s at GCSE level when he was at school, and one that helped him deal with adversity earlier in his career that enabled him to blossom into a Premier League shot-stopper.
Despite those difficult hardships, the Hammers star harbours happy memories of Christmas and uses it as the perfect time to express his gratitude for the things he has had in his life.
“Christmas has changed a lot for me as I’ve got older,” said Foderingham. “When you’re younger, it’s all about receiving presents, but as you get older, you realise it’s more about family and being grateful for the things you have had in your life. I’ve got three young kids as well, so to see the excitement on their faces is something that brings me a lot of joy.
“We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, and there was one Christmas that my Dad was really struggling, and he bought me a Rubik’s cube. But it was something that I played with every day, and it really changed the way I thought about things and helped me with problem solving, and it was something I really stuck to. It reminds me now that when you put your mind to something and you stick to it, you can achieve it, and every time I think about the Rubik’s cube, it reminds me of that.
“It is really special when I think back to it. If I came home with a Rubik’s cube for my son now, then it would be a different response. Everyone’s in different positions, and I feel very fortunate and grateful to be in the position to be able to have three kids, to be able to celebrate the festive period with them and see the smiles on their faces when you give them a present and surprise them. Christmas is a time that people always look forward to, brings a bit of enjoyment and excitement, and is a really special time of the year.”
For many, Christmas is a time of winding down slightly, maybe eating and drinking a little more than normal, and most importantly, enjoying time off work to spend time with family and friends.
For Foderingham, the sacrifices have been worth it. He gave up a lot of time during his childhood and adolescence to become one of the very few who make it to football’s elite level. Now, having eclipsed over 450 career appearances during his glittering career, he is ready for another busy festive period as a professional footballer.
“When you speak to people who don’t play football about being at the training ground on Christmas Day, their reaction is always the same, and they can’t quite believe it, but for us as footballers, it is normal and we’re used to it,” he added.
"Of course it is difficult because you want to be there around your family, especially if you have young children as well, but it’s part and parcel of being a footballer. I’m sure we will get some part of the day at home this year, whether that’s the morning or afternoon to celebrate, but we’ve got a job to do, and if that means being in on Christmas Day, then so be it.
“There are a lot of sacrifices you make as a footballer, but you adapt, and your family will adapt to that, as it’s probably been the case since you started playing. There are some people who might bring it forward a day and then open presents in the morning before training, but I think just having the family around, even if it’s not for the full day, is special anyway.
“I won’t lie and say I eat chicken, broccoli and pasta. I do have a typical Christmas dinner, but you just have to be careful with the amount you’re eating, as there’s still no reason that you can’t enjoy the day with your family and friends.
“I love it [the festive period as a footballer]. Christmas brings people together, and there are a lot more people that have time off work, which means more people can visit stadiums and watch games together as a family. It’s a busy period with the games, but it’s also an important period and one that every footballer takes seriously.”
