From the football field to the classroom, Mike Harris shares his incredible journey of faith, competition, and self-discovery. Discover how a former professional footballer found his true calling and learned to embrace God's unconditional love. Tune in to hear how he tackled life's challenges head-on and found freedom beyond the football pitch. Don't miss this inspiring story of transformation and faith!

Here’s a summary of this week’s story:

• Mike Harris grew up in a Christian family and was one of five children. He was heavily involved in sports, particularly football, and church activities. He played football professionally for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.
• He left home at 16 to pursue his football career, which was a challenging time for him. He felt a lot of pressure to succeed and to not disappoint his family and coach.
• After his football career, he struggled with accepting God's unconditional love for him due to his competitive background. He had to learn that God's love was not dependent on his achievements or success.
• He returned to football at a lower level after feeling that God wanted him to do so. He played for several clubs but realized he needed to make a decision about his future as he wouldn't make enough money from football alone.
• He decided to go into PE teaching and completed a degree. He also speaks about the importance of understanding God's unconditional love and how it has given him the freedom to accept his journey, including the end of his football career. He believes that understanding God's love would have made him a better footballer as it would have allowed him to play with more freedom and joy.

ABOUT MIKE

Once a professional footballer who kicked the ball around for teams like Blackburn and Newcastle United, he's now scoring goals as a PE teacher in lively Liverpool! When he's not inspiring the next generation of sports stars, he's having a ball with his incredible wife, Debbie, and their two amazing little teammates. Mike's life is definitely a home run!

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And now without further ado, let's meet your host and our

very special guest for today.

Hello and welcome to What's the Story?

My name is Anna.

I'm part of the Crowd Church team here.

I'm your host for this episode of What's The Story Podcast, and today I'm

joined by my good friend Mike Harris.

Now Mike is a P teacher from Liverpool, and he's also an

ex-professional footballer.

He's played for a number of different teams, including

Blackburn and also Newcastle United.

He's married to Debbie and Dad's two wonderful kids.

Now, Mike and I have been friends for, I was trying to work it out earlier

today, but certainly over 20 years now.

And in fact, we first met, um, at Christian Gap year that we both did

here in Liverpool in 2001, 2002.

So we've known each other for a good for years.

And incidentally, that was also the year where he first met his wife Debbie.

So it was quite an important year, all in all in your

Very important.

Thanks so much for joining us today.

I'm so excited to have you on the show.

It's great to have you on here.

here.

Thank you for having me.

It's a pleasure.

So I guess we should start at the beginning really, shouldn't we, and find

out a little bit more about you, Mike.

So obviously you grew up in a Christian family.

You came from quite a religious background in many ways, but I guess I'm kind of

interested in when it really started to mean something for you personally.

Like when did you kind of.

Find a faith that was personal to you.

Can you tell us a bit more about that kind of journey sort of through your

childhood and into, into Christianity,

So, um, I was one of five children, um, and

grew up in a Christian family.

Uh, we were all quite close in age.

There was five of us under the age of four at one point.

Um,

which being a parent now, you're like, how did

your mom and dad ever do that

heck did they do that?

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I, I never needed any friends growing up, uh, which,

which was a nice thing cause cause I had enough of them at home.

Um, and so, so that was good.

So I had two brothers, two sisters.

Um, and sport was a big part of my life, um, as well as going to church.

So we went to church three times every Sunday.

Um, and I'd also go to a youth group during the week at church.

Um, and then I'd play a lot of sports.

And in particular football.

Um, and so when I was 12, really, I mean I played football all the time,

but when I was 12 I was playing for my secondary school and my dad, um,

like any dad thought that, um, their son was really good at football.

Um, the difference was that my dad had a cousin who was a coach at Blackburn,

um, Rovers, and so he invited them along to come and watch me play.

Um, He thought that I was good as well.

So then I went up to Blackburn for a trial, um, and I ended up

staying there for four years.

Um, so I was there til I was 16 and I absolutely loved it.

I mean, I loved football, I loved playing sport.

I loved the affirmation that I got from it because I was good at it as well.

Um, and all of that was very good.

Um, and then when I was 16, Um, my, uh, coach at the time who was a guy

called Allen Irvine, um, he left and went to Newcastle with Kenny Daglish,

who was the manager of Blackburn.

And, um, I went with him, um, to Newcastle.

So at the age of 16 and I left home, went to Newcastle, um, signed as a

YTS and then signed as a professional.

Um, and I was there, um, for a few years.

Um, I didn't really go to church whilst I was there.

Um, I, I had to go to church when I was at home, but because I'd left home,

my mum and dad said, it's up to you.

Um, and they did have a friend in Newcastle who they

used to send to the hotel.

Cause we lived in a hotel at the time.

Um, and they used to send this friend.

Um, Nick to the hotel and every time he used to come, I used to hide.

Um, and I used to, I used to tell the, the manager, hotel,

just tell him I'm not here.

Tell I'm not.

Um, because, because for me, Christianity, um, and I, you know, I heard this

said on the off course, um, but for me, for me, Christianity was boring.

Um, it, it was irrelevant to my life.

I was gonna be a professional footballer.

You know, I, I was a professional footballer, so, um, It was irrelevant

and, and I don't think I would say that I felt like it was untrue,

but I definitely didn't know.

Um, so it was a boring, it was irrelevant, and I didn't know if it was true.

Um,

And it certainly wasn't top of your agenda when you're leaving

home at 16 and the living that football a lifestyle for the first time,

you got a first taste of freedom.

I'm guessing it's probably not the first thing you, you think, oh, I

need to go and find a good church.

Is it.

Absolutely.

And, and, you know, you, you just, I just didn't feel like I needed it.

You know, I, I, I, I, I had everything that I'd, that I'd always wanted.

Um, and, you know, um, So that was Newcastle.

Um, but obviously Newcastle didn't, you know, I'm not currently a Premiership

footballer, so Newcastle didn't work out.

Um, I, I was a professional footballer there, which was great.

Um, but unfortunately after a few years, um, my contract came to an end and I

hadn't made it into the first team.

By this time, Ken Daglish had been fired.

Ruud Gullit came in as the manager.

After the year, Ruud Gullit got fired and Bobby Robson became the manager.

Um, I hadn't made it into the first team, and so new, uh, Bobby Robson decided that

he wasn't gonna give me another contract.

Um, I then went on trial to lots of different clubs, um, and, um, I went on

trial to loads and loads different clubs over and, and it over a number of years.

Some clubs I spent longer at, um, than others.

Um, but I wasn't able to really find a club that was, um, That was prepared

to give me a long term contract.

Um, and I ended up at a club called Chester City.

Um, and it was whilst I was there that, um, I became a Christian and I wish,

I wish I could remember more about the actual, how it happened, but, but

a few, a few things that happened.

Um, so one of the things that happened was that I, I was, I remember having

a conversation with my mom, um, and she'd just come back from a Christian

camp called, um, M C Y C, Christian Camps, which lots of people within,

um, uh, Liverpool up been into.

And, um, she was just talking to me about how amazing it was and how,

um, What a great time she'd had.

And I just remember thinking, um, that she had a peace and a joy that, that I didn't.

Um, and also she had a peace and a joy that, that I hadn't seen in any of my

heroes that I'd spent a lot of time with.

And, and I knew because, because I've been brought up as a Christian.

although it wasn't real to me, I knew that at that moment that the,

the reason why I, my mom was like that was because she had a faith and

because her faith was in Jesus Christ.

Um, so that was one thing that I remember being a defining moment.

Um, but there were others.

So I remember when I was at Newcastle, I had bought a brand new car, me and my two.

Roommates had, um, been out and we, we decided to buy, buy three of the same car.

Um, I think we thought we'd get like three for the price of

two or, or something like that.

Um, but what what actually happened was that they, they just charged

us far more than, um, they would've charged any other normal person.

They just saw three naive young footballers coming

through the showroom, I guess.

And I remember, you know, the registration, I

remember the registration number.

So I got a blue one.

It was a Vauxhall Tigra.

Um, so I got a blue one, um, and they got a gray one and

the other make got a black one.

And we all parked them next to each other in, in our, in our

triple garage, uh, that we had.

Uh, and my registration was V293FBN.

My other mate was V294 FBN and V295FBN.

It's funny that you remember that, isn't it?

Um, but anyway, about about three weeks after buying this car, I

was traveling back up to Newcastle and um, I had my mate in the car.

Um, Who'd also come from Blackburn to Newcastle with me.

Um, and we had some coronation chicken in the Tupperware box on the backseat.

And as we were traveling back up to Newcastle, we actually

got back up to Newcastle.

We were in Durham.

Um, and I was traveling along an A road and I clipped the curb on the, at

the central reservation and sent the car across the, the, a road and we hit

a tree at 70 miles an hour head on.

Um, Fortunately, quite a long, long story short, um, I was

fine and my mate was fine.

Uh, the coronation chicken wasn't, um, not so much.

Um, but I remember thinking, um, at the time, I don't know what would've

happened to me had I had I died.

Most people who hit a tree 70 mile an hour die.

And I didn't.

I was, I was spared for whatever reason and I remember thinking,

I don't know where I'd gone.

I was brought up a Christian, I was brought up to believe in, in, in Heaven,

and I was brought up to believe in Helen.

And I remember feeling anxious, at least about the fact that

I didn't know where I'd gone.

Uh, had I been killed in that crash.

And so I think those two things were the, were two of the, the catalysts,

um, for me making a, making a decision.

Um, that, that eventually, so that the car crash came first and then the conversation

with my mom came later on, um, that, that I wanted to become a Christian.

I can't remember exactly when it happened, but I do remember

whilst there was at Chester.

Um, and a time after I'd spoken to my mom, I remember opening up the Bible,

which wasn't the first time because I'd spent a long time in church.

But I just remember opening up the Bible and for the first time ever,

it felt like God was speaking to me.

Um, it felt like the book was alive.

It felt like, um, It felt powerful.

It felt like nothing had ever read before.

Um, it felt amazing.

Um, and so it, it was then that I decided that I wanted to be a Christian.

I wanted to follow, um, um, wanted to follow, Jesus wanted to be a disciple.

Um, I had wasted all of my money.

Um, so I had three and a half thousand pound left.

And so I decided that I wanted to do a year out and I looked all over

the world, literally all over the world for somewhere to go to do a

year out, uh, a Christian year out.

And the only one that I could find was 10 minutes down the road in

Wavery, um, which was the Omega team that, um, that me and you did.

Um,

Yep.

You know that that was a, another turning point, um, in

my life and my relationship with.

Fab.

So obviously there, there's a lot in that and there's a lot you've covered,

you know, that sort of journey into faith and some of that disappointment

that you're working through around kind of your football career, not

working out quite the way you expected.

But I mean, what would you say is, would you say that's a big challenge

that you've had to overcome?

What, what's what, what's been the hardest thing up to now?

Cuz you know, a journey of faith is great, but it's not all.

Easy.

Is it, it's not necessarily an easy life being a Christian, so I'm in,

I'm interested where, where did it go

Uh, yeah, so I think.

One of the big, biggest challenges that I've faced and, and I'm still facing,

you know, if, if I'm honest, is, um, just accepting God's unconditional love for me.

Um, I have spent most of my life in a very competitive environment.

Um, you know, I, I left home when I was 16, which very young, and

I was thrust into a very, very competitive, um, situation where,

um, You know, I, I was, I was faced with the competition of my peers.

I wanted to do better than them.

Um, all of us were focused on being in the first team and we were competing again.

We were aware that we were competing against each other.

Um, and um, so I was dealing with that.

I was also dealing with the fact that I'd left home.

Um, and that wasn't easy.

I didn't have my mum and dad there, although my dad did come an awful

lot of time, which was amazing.

Um, I didn't have mum and dad there every day to say, you know, keep going.

We think you're great.

We love you.

Um, I also had the pressure, which I felt, um, which wasn't always real,

but, but, but I felt like it was real.

So, uh, I wanted, you know, I'm a son so I wanted to please my dad.

Um, I didn't want to be, I didn't wanna let get, let go.

I wanted to be successful.

I wanted to be captain of England.

Um, and, um, So, so I had that pressure.

Um, Alan Irvine had taken a ga a bit of a gamble on me, I suppose my coach, um,

and brought me up to Newcastle and that, you know, I didn't wanna let him down.

Um, and that was, that was a pressure, um, that I felt, you know,

I have friends at home, um, and my peers at home who, who knew me as

Mike, the lad, who's a professional footballer, and I didn't want to.

I didn't wanna come home and say it's not worked out.

Um, and so that whole earning and um, that competition is something

that when I became a Christian, was difficult to, to get rid of.

Um, and so learning about how.

Much God loves me and that it is unconditional has been a slow process,

probably quite frustrating for God.

Um, but it has been quite a slow process for me.

And, you know, the Omega team was, was a massive, massive step, um, in

the right direction for me in learning about God's unconditional love.

Um, a huge step.

Um, but it's something that.

You know, it's still, um, a challenge, um, that I'm I had

expecta lots of expectations that I didn't want to, um, disappoint.

Um, I also came from a very, um, accomplished sporting background,

you know, in that lots of my family were very, very good at sports.

Um, my, my dad was a, a basketballer for England and, um, You know, a sister

who represented Great Britain and athletics, a brother who represented

Great Britain Athletics, another brother who was second in Europe in gymnastics,

you know, so I've got lots of, um, very successful siblings and, and I

just, I, you know, It's difficult.

Then once you become a Christian, I found, um, to then accept that God loves

me without me doing anything, without me winning a single medal, you know,

without me, um, accomplishing anything.

Um, and so I think for me, coming out of that world of, of sport,

um, that has been one of my biggest challenges, um, and biggest battles.

Sure, sure.

And I, I'm interested like, cuz that's obviously huge and I, in

serious space, I'm interested in like, how did that theme then continue

to unfold in your life from there?

So what happened sort of after that?

So you came out of that professional football and Yeah.

What next?

after the.

I felt like God was wanting me to go back into football.

Um, which, which at least was interesting for me because I, you

know, I, I didn't really still have the same love for football.

Um, but that was what I felt like God was asking me to do.

And so I went back into football right at a very low level, um, and

assigned fora club called Trafford.

Um, loved it.

Um, really enjoyed playing there.

And then I got a move up league to, to Runcorn and then I got a, a move

up another league, um, to Lee Rmi.

Um, and however I realized that um, you know, by this time I was

like 24, 25 and I needed to make a decision really about what was gonna.

B, my future.

Um, because, you know, I was, I was wise enough to understand that I wasn't

going to be, um, I wasn't gonna make enough money from football for me to be

able to, to do that as my only career.

Um, at the time I was, you know, I was a semi professional footballer.

Um, and so it was at that point I was married at the time, um, and

my wife was a teacher, and so, um, I decided that I was gonna be, uh,

going to PE teaching, so I did the degree, um, I managed to, Um, great.

Um, very proud of that because school didn't go very well.

Didn't go great for me because, you know, I felt like I was gonna be a

professional footballer, so I didn't really have a lot of time for school.

But, um, I managed to get that first in my degree.

And I've been a teacher now, a PE teacher, um, at a big Catholic

comprehensive, uh, for 14 years and.

The way that I feel like, um, I've grown as a Christian is that, you know, it,

what's interesting is at the moment, I'm at a point in my career where, um, I'm

wanting to, I'm wanting to change and I'm wanting to make some decisions about, um,

where I go and what and what I do next.

Um, I'm considering the possibility of maybe stepping back from my role.

Uh, I'm currently, um, head of PA and I'm, I'm currently thinking

about the possibility of me stepping back and maybe taking a less senior

position or even maybe coming out of teaching and doing something,

um, you know, something different.

And, um, I think it's only because I have grown to learn about how much that

God loves me, that I feel like I could.

Take a step back in my career, which, which many people would see as as, um,

you know, maybe me not doing so well.

But I think because I have grown in my faith and I've, no, I know more now that,

that, that God loves me unconditionally.

I feel like that is an option.

Um, and you know, it, it's only a small thing, but, but, but for

me that, that's quite a big deal.

Um, And shows.

Yeah.

It's quite counter-cultural, isn't it?

Actually, it's quite, it's unusual, like there's kind of this idea that you should

just always be going up another wrong on your career and earning more money

and more prestige and, you know, that's, that's kind of how our culture thinks.

So that, that sort of sense of freedom you have, that you can step outside of that.

It's quite unusual I think like yeah, it's quite a big change from being

in that high performance world that you used to be in where like actually

feel like you've got that freedom to be like, I can explore different

things and I can do anything I want.

Like, you know, with God here and yeah, that's quite, quite incredible really, it?

One of the interesting things was when I was coming out of

football as I was sort of, um, you know, I was playing semi professional

football, I met lots of other footballers.

Um, Um, who had, had, had, you know, relatively successful careers and

they were sort of on their way out, if you like, and, you know, you could,

you could see that, that for a lot of people or a, a lot of lads who I knew,

you know, As a Newcastle professional people, people wouldn't recognize me,

but people would know that I played for Newcastle, mainly because of the

people who I was with at the time.

And so I could go to a party or I could go to a club, or I could go to

a bar and I could walk in and people would know that I played for Newcastle.

And so there was quite a lot of cudos and.

It as a young lad, that was, that was massive.

Um, and, and so when I was, you know, a semi-professional footballer

and, um, you know, it was very, very different, um, to being at Newcastle

and being with other players, and you could see how that was a struggle, a

big struggle for, for lots of people.

You know, they, they were struggling to come to terms with the fact that.

They weren't going to be that person.

They weren't gonna have that same sway and that same power and that

same, um, kudos going into those bars.

And so a lot of them would go into, a lot of them under, understandably,

in one way would go into drugs and things like that because that was

the only thing that, that, that, that meant you could go into a bar or to a

club or to a party and have a similar.

The cues that he got from being a footballer.

Um, and so, and, and that was interesting.

Um, for me, it, you know, it was never a temptation for me.

Um, but it, it, it was interesting that, that it's just such a battle for

people, um, to, to give it up and to, to be able to, you know, maybe take a

step back and, and accept that, that, you know, that that's the next step.

Yeah.

Yeah, so I mean, your story is really outside of the norm, isn't it?

In that sense?

And it, to me, that just speaks of how much work God's done in your life.

But I mean, obviously your story's not over yet.

You are still thinking about what your next career step is or what you

changed, what changes might be afoot.

So, you know, I'm aware that you are certainly not at

the end of your story yet.

You know, there's still way more chapters to be written, which is exciting and.

You know, I'm personally excited to see what God does with you

next and where he takes you next.

If you do, do something slightly different or step back from teaching a little bit.

But I mean, just reflecting up to where you are right now, um, what

do you think youve learned through all of this experience up to date?

Like if you, I know it's a really hard thing to ask, isn't it?

But if you could just distill it down to one sort of like, lesson in

life, what would that thing be like?

What's that thing that.

You feel like this is what I know now that I didn't know before.

I think, um, it would, it, I've mentioned it before, but I

think it would be that, that, that God's love for me is unconditional.

Um, I've just finished reading a book, um, that, that talks about the fact that,

you know, that, that we have different, there's different sort of horizons and you

know, when we, when we know that God, um, has a future for us and, um, we can have a

hope in something that is certain and that is, um, not gonna change in the future,

then it impacts how we behave and how we.

The, the level of joy and freedom that we can have, um, in our own lives.

And you know what, what's been interesting for me is that coming out

of football is that people, you know, pupils ask me, you know, why did, um,

why are you not a football anymore?

Did you get an injury?

And what, what they want to hear is that I've got an injury.

They don't want to hear that, that No, actually my story is that

I, I wasn't quite good enough.

You know, I was good enough to be a professional footballer and that was

fantastic, but my football career didn't come to an end because of an injury.

And it's difficult, you know, it, it's almost like a, um, a kill Joey,

you know, in that moment to say to someone, no, I didn't get an injury.

I just wasn't good enough.

Um, but you just don't often hear that story, you know?

Yet the reality is for, for 95% of professional footballers, that's

the truth, you know, that they became professional footballers.

Mm.

It wasn't that they got an injury, they, they just weren't good

enough in the end to be able to continue.

And so, you know, learning that God loves me unconditionally has given me the

freedom to be able to answer that question honestly and say, football was great.

Football was brilliant and I wouldn't change it for the

world, but I didn't get injured.

I just wasn't good enough.

And now I'm doing something else and I'm, I'm really proud of this.

Um, and even though you might not be as proud of me, um, as a, as you would

be if I was a professional footballer, you know, I know the goddess, um,

Uh, some of the words that are in the Bible, you know, I'm a father

at the moment, um, or I am a father.

Um, and the words in, in the Bible where, where Jesus speaks

and he says, my son, my son.

And he, he says it a number of times and it's, it, the, those words have

meant an awful lot to me because when I look at my son, The feelings that I

have for him that he does not need to do anything in order to make me pleased

and make me happy, and make me proud.

Um, and the more I have dwelt on those words, that, that God looks at me and

the first thing he says is My son.

son.

And after that, you know, everything else that, that I.

Feel like I'm doing for God is almost irrelevant to the fact that, that he is

my father and he sees me as, as his son.

Um, and you know, I actually think had I known this when I was a professional

footballer, um, I think I would've been a better, better footballer.

Um, I think I would've played with a lot more freedom.

Um, you know, when I was a professional footballer, I, I felt like.

Everything was a risk.

You know, if I play with freedom, it's a risk.

It's a risk because what if it, what if it goes wrong?

And I, I get, I, I get subbed, or what if I get taken off?

Everything was a risk, you know?

And the, the more.

You learn about how unconditionally God loves you, less and less

of your actions become a risk.

It just becomes you acting out of freedom, acting with a whole lot more joy.

Um, one of my, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is, is Roman a 29, which says

that, God is changing me into the likeness of Jesus so that I, so that he will

be the first born among many brothers.

And for me, the, the reason why I like the best is because it says

that God is continually changing me into the likeness of Jesus.

Um, and you know, when we, when I reflect on.

When I reflect on what my life has been like and what my life is going to be

like in the, in the future, um, on Earth, um, I'm aware of the fact that, that

God is changing me to lightness Jesus.

And so there will be ups and there will be downs, and there will be, um,

things that are unexpected and there will probably be disappointments.

But, but when I know that my father has a plan, His plan to change me to

likeness of Jesus, that I, I can have a lot more, uh, assurance and peace

knowing that, that he is in control, um, that he loves me unconditionally.

Um, and therefore I am free.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's so true.

It is amazing.

And um, yeah, I mean that's, that's just an inspiring point to finish on really,

cuz it's something we all need to know.

It's something we all need deeper revelation of, I think.

And, you know, such a powerful.

Example that you've got in your own life.

And you know, Mike, it's just, yeah, I'd love to talk to you

loads more, but I'm aware of time.

But it's been fascinating hearing your story today and hearing a bit more

of your take on this, um, coming from that kind of performance world and

learning that freedom and that joy of just being who you are and God.

Um, so thank you so much for giving up your time and talking with us today, and

it's just been a pleasure to have you on.

okay.

It's been great to be here.

Thank you.

No problem.

Just to say to anyone who's listening today, you know, if you may not have

had a professional football career, but if your story, if Mike's story is like,

resonated with you today in any way, if, if what he's talking about around

knowing freedom and who you are and.

In Jesus, uh, resonates knowing more of the father's love for you.

Then I know Mike would be happy to talk to you one on one or can next, so you know,

if you want to hear more or reach out to him personally, you can connect with us

at Crowd Church through the website and.

Drop us, just drop us an email or a message on the website

and we can put you in touch.

I'm sure he'd be happy to share more of his story with anyone who's interested.

So thanks again for, uh, being here today.

Mike, it's been a pleasure chatting to you.

And thank you also to you listeners for being here and listening in.

That's all from us right now, and we will, um, see you again soon.

Have a great week, everyone.

And just like that, we have reached the end of

another fascinating conversation.

Now remember to check out Crowd Church, www dot Crowd Church.

Even if you might not see the point of church.

You see.

We are a digital church on a quest to discover how Jesus can help

us live a more meaningful life.

We are a community, a space to explore the Christian faith and a place

where you can contribute and grow.

And you are welcome at Crowd Church.

Don't forget to subscribe to the What's the Story podcast on your favorite podcast

app because we've got a treasure trove of inspiring stories coming your way.

And we would basically hate for you to miss any of them.

And just in case no one has told you yet today, remember you are awesome.

Yes, you are created awesome.

It's just a burden you have to bear.

What's the story is a production of Crowd Church, a fantastic team

including Anna, Kettle, SAF Beon, and me Edmundson, uh, and Tanya Hustulak.

Work behind the scenes tirelessly to bring you all these fabulous.

Stories.

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And if you're interested in the transcript or show notes, head over

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podcast.com.

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So that's it from all of us this week here at What's Story.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Have a fantastic week wherever you are in the world, we'll catch you next time.