I was world’s most expensive 11-year-old but ‘wanted to vanish’ and became an electrician
Adam Pepper was eyed by Barcelona, took trials with Manchester United, played for Liverpool and was worth £5million at 11.
But the former rising star’s life was turned on its head in 2009 as his football career came crashing down.
It was 16 years ago that Pepper’s time at Liverpool derailed, and in a matter of weeks, things crumbled to an ultimate low.
As a youngster, the now 32-year-old had the world at his feet, as his footballing ability caught the eye of European giants.
After starring for a local team, Pepper had the likes of Barcelona and Ajax looking to try and bring him to their club.
Agent Eric Hall valued him at around £5million at the time, which made him the most expensive 11-year-old in the world.
And with that, he appeared to be on track to become one of the next English football superstars.
Some agents and scouts would attend his games, with his name spreading, which was something he wasn’t too keen on happening.
Pepper told The Athletic in 2022: “I didn’t enjoy the attention because I’m quite sensitive.
“I mean, I wasn’t even playing for a professional club at the time. I was an amateur footballer and my name was all over the papers.”
He eventually went on to trial at Manchester United, receiving offers from Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool.
The ex-midfielder spoke with Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool and met David Beckham and Ryan Giggs at Man United.
But it was the Reds who managed to sign him up amid the mad chase for the young superstar’s signature.
Liverpool win the contract battle
Pepper joined Liverpool at 14, being offered a six-year deal, with three starting at youth level and the other three professional.
He looked up to Steven Gerrard and loved the Merseyside derby, previously being an Everton season ticket holder.
The teenager went on to star in the youth ranks as a combative player, experiencing plenty of success on the pitch.
Standing small, he used his aggression to win tackles and was lauded as a great technical, creative player for the Reds.
He even had a goal compared to Xabi Alonso, with him being tipped to become the ‘next Wayne Rooney‘ too.
His career was thriving and so were Liverpool, as they regularly pushed for silverware in the FA Youth Cup.
They were on the brink of a third cup final in four seasons in 2009, but that’s when things went mightily wrong for Pepper.
Pepper’s career-threatening injury
In the semi-final of the competition against Birmingham, Pepper suffered an extremely serious injury.
During the second leg, he tried to control a pass and heard something pop before falling to the ground in severe pain.
He lay there for 10 minutes before bravely walking off, with him ‘never experiencing so much pain in his life’.
Pepper’s abductor muscle had torn away from his pelvis and after being substituted, his stomach swelled up.
He was then forced to sit in a wheelchair for a week afterwards, with a specialist soon warning his career could be over.
His hope wasn’t all sapped though, as he was told by his coaches that with three years left on his deal, he is still highly valued at the club.
However, after Liverpool lost the FA Youth Cup final to Arsenal, those coaches were sacked in a major blow for Pepper.
“I couldn’t believe it. Everything we knew about the club was because of them,” the ex-Reds academy star said to The Athletic.
And deep down, he was likely to have known what was coming next, as Rafa Benitez made his mark on the club.
The beginning of the end
Pepper was recovering from his gruesome injury when he was called into the training ground for an update on his situation.
Soon after hearing positive updates on his recovery, Benitez’s youth overhaul led to talks over ending his contract completely.
The Spanish first-team manager was not pleased with the level of young talent coming through the club’s ranks at the time.
And that view seemed to bleed into the academy staff, as Pepper noticed a real change in how things were being dealt with.
He admitted: “I got blanked by a few people I thought I knew. I thought I’d be able to show them, and I told them. But this attitude seemed to count against me. They did not want me to show them. They just didn’t want me.”
Pepper remained at Liverpool for another few months, working his way back to fitness and eventually returning to the grass.
But as he turned 18, he was forced to train with the 14-year-olds, with his previous high reputation seemingly having disappeared.
A return to U18 action fortunately followed, although that was still not enough to regain the former support he had at the club.
And in 2010, he left the Reds, still with two years left on his contract.
‘I wanted to vanish’
Pepper was then left without a club and as he was still not at full fitness following his injury, he was ‘scared’ to play again.
He then entered an extremely low period of his life, selling his possessions related to football and shutting down.
“I wasn’t fit enough to sustain playing at any serious level over a long period of time,” Pepper explained to The Athletic.
“I didn’t want anyone to talk about me. Instead, I wanted to vanish”.
Speaking about his thoughts at the time, he added: “I didn’t do any GCSEs because I was training with Liverpool every day at 16.
“It seemed like there was no future. I’ll admit, I didn’t want to live anymore.”
Pepper went on to have spells in Wales and at Stockport County, but his fitness levels were still leaving him in a tough spot.
Leaving professional football behind
He took a break to live in Jersey before returning to football, however, things just never felt right for the former rising star.
And in just a few months, Pepper had gone from one of the highest-rated players in Europe to quitting as a professional.
In 2022, he was playing for a local amateur team in Liverpool and being extra careful on the pitch regarding his past injury.
Alongside that, Pepper became a full-time electrician to earn his cash, working on the Merseyside railway lines.
He had the potential to be one of the best in England, but for an unfortunate some, things sadly don’t work out as planned.
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