Kenji Gorré | More Than a Footballer

Giving The Game Away

Kenji Gorré is definitely more than just a footballer.

Son of Dutch football legend, Dean Gorré, Kenji was tipped to stardom from a young-age, when he played for both Manchester City’s and Manchester United’s academies at just 6 years old. This was the perfect footballing education, as he learned from the likes of Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand on a daily basis on the training ground. During this episode, Kenji talks about the winning culture that was instilled at United, and what he learned from his time there.

Unfortunately, at 18 years old, Kenji received a brutal setback when he was informed by Sir Alex Ferguson that he was being released by United. However, Kenji didn’t give up on his professional football dream and ended up playing for Swansea City in the Premier League – proving that setbacks can become opportunities with the right attitude.

Although, while in Wales, another difficult period ensued, with Kenji battling a gambling addiction. Fortunately, Kenji overcame the addiction and he’s now happier than ever, enjoying his football for Nacional in Portugal and playing for the Curacao national team.

Kenji is using his experiences of dealing with setbacks to help other footballers fine tune their own mentality. He’s recently founded On the Ball - a service where elite footballers can learn more about developing the correct mind-set for elite sport. He also hosts Konversations with Kenji, a podcast discussing the mental side of football.

His positivity and energy is infectious and we really enjoyed hearing his ideas about the mental side of the game. If you liked this episode – go check out Konversations with Kenji for more insightful interviews with elite footballers.