NEWCASTLE striker Callum Wilson has opened up about his difficult upbringing and how it gave him the determination to succeed both in the Premier League and on the international stage.
Wilson, 30, was named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for the upcoming Qatar World Cup on Thursday.
Although he has not represented the Three Lions since 2019, the Newcastle star has revealed that his drive and hunger – which stemmed from his childhood – kept him pushing for a place on the plane.
In an interview with The Telegraph, he said: “I’d say quite a lot of my mental strength is to do with my upbringing.
“Being not very fortunate in life, not having a lot to live on as a kid, having to work for everything you get.
“I appreciate that nothing good comes without hard work, so I will be the hardest worker in the room and make sure I do everything I can to give myself the best opportunity to succeed.
“Did my parents make sacrifices for me? It’s difficult to talk about that, my childhood… look my past, it’s hard to speak about.
“My dad wasn’t around. My mum had a difficult task of raising six kids on her own. Yeah, she made sacrifices, but I also had to fend for myself you know, bring myself up… I was the eldest sibling of the six. I was the responsible one.
“I was the one looking after my brothers and sisters when my mum went out. It’s always been like that. I’ve always been like that.
“I was the elder brother and I had to help out, I had to look after the family as well, you know… It was a responsibility at a very young age but I’ve always tried to keep myself with that young spirit.
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“It was a weird set up, I’m not going to lie, I had to grow up fast but it’s brought me where I am today.”
Wilson has been on top form so far this season having scored six goals in 10 games for Newcastle.
He has also accumulated a better minutes-per-goal record than Tammy Abraham, Ivan Toney and Dominic Calvert-Lewin since the start of the campaign.
But, his professional pathway has not always been straightforward.
He kicked off his career with Coventry City, where he made his first-team debut in 2009 after graduating from the club’s academy.
Two years later, he was loaned out on two consecutive occasions to Conference Premier clubs Kettering Town and Tamworth respectively.
But, after impressing upon his return to Coventry he signed for Bournemouth, where he suffered two serious knee injuries within a short space of time.
After recovering from the devastating setback, he found form once again and caught the attention of Newcastle, who signed him in September 2020.
He has since scored 26 goals in 56 appearances for the Magpies.
