At just 17 years of age, Ditchling’s own Wolves starlet Leon Chiwome is establishing himself as one of the hottest footballing talents in the country.
The striker, who signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers last July, recently netted a 48 minute hat-trick for the England u17s in a 6-0 win over Germany and CommunityAd had the pleasure of speaking with Leon Chiwome’s mum Hannah to find out more about his journey and current rise to the top of the football world…
Can you give readers an indication as to how early Leon started playing football and the influences/role models around Leon that made him pursue the sport at the highest level?
Leon started playing football at what might be considered a late age of around 10 years old, when he joined one of our local teams in Hassocks. He enjoyed being part of a team and playing with his mates.
He then moved to Plumpton Athletic Football Club where he stayed until the age of 14. His love of the game continued to grow and his ability was recognised by Sussex schools FA.
His talent soon meant that we had to look for a more competitive level of football for him to compete at, to enable him to continue his development, and he joined Alfold Football Club for a brief, but successful period of time. He also had the support and coaching from Graeme Hawkins who is Sussex based.
It was from this club that Leon was spotted by a scout for Wimbledon which is where Leon continued his journey for a year in their u16s academy.
This was a fantastic opportunity for Leon and he made the most of his time at the club progressing quickly to be rewarded with an offer of a scholarship at the club, however Wolves were keen to sign Leon and this presented an even bigger opportunity for him to develop at a Premier League club level. Leon made the move in July.
I have asked Leon what/who his influences and role models were and he responded: “Role models in my career who have had an impact are definitely Cristiano Ronaldo as he was so hard working and my dad as he would always push me to be the best version of myself.”
Do you remember there being a specific moment where you and Ron (Leon’s dad) realised that Leon’s tunnel vision, hard work and dedication will pay off?
Leon had a trial at Brighton & Hove Albion FC before his move to Wimbledon and although they released him, it was at this point that we realised that he could actually achieve his dream of playing professional football given the right environment. He had to work on his confidence levels as his potential was clear for everyone to see, although he was very new to academy level football at that time.
Leon was recently named as one of the ‘best talents’ in the Premier League with glowing reviews from former and current managers, when you hear and read these comments about Leon, just how proud does it make you?
Reading the articles written about Leon and his achievements is just so wonderful. We can’t really describe just how proud we are of his achievements and the young man that he is becoming.
He has had to show a level of dedication and maturity that is rarely required of a 17-year-old.
Can you describe to readers just how much sacrifice and dedication you saw first-hand from Leon that got him to where he is today?
Sacrificing late nights and partying at weekends is just one of the ways that Leon demonstrated to us that he was serious about his football career.
Moving away from home, friends and family was another big sacrifice that he has made to follow this path. He has made a great start to his journey at Wolves, succeeding at everything that has been put before him so far. Being named one of the best talents in the Premier League and then getting his first call up for England under 17’s for the European qualifiers was a great reward for all his dedication. He felt incredibly privileged and it has encouraged him to keep up the hard work as it pays off.
He has also made headlines in Zimbabwe where Ron’s family are still based. Making the wider family and Zimbabwean nation proud.
Less than 0.5 per cent of footballers make it to the professional level, was it difficult for yourselves having to sacrifice weekends and family time so that Leon got the best opportunities for his career and, through this process, did you get support from the local area e.g. Brighton/Sussex FA?
Leon is our eldest son and he has four younger brothers who are all very keen footballers. This made it tricky at times to get the boys (including Leon) to their various commitments, especially at weekends. We have found that there were always parents who were willing to help us by giving lifts etc. where needed. We are so grateful for all their help as it meant that Leon didn’t miss training or matches.
Leon has had a lot of support from various coaches over the years, all of whom have impacted his love of the game and provided encouragement and praise. We are still in contact with a coach from Sussex Schools FA who is following his progress very carefully.
Leon’s agent Humphrey from LionHeart Football Talent has been a very strong source of support for Leon and us as a family.
We wanted an agent for him who, as well as having sound knowledge and experience of the game and what is required of Leon, actually has Leon’s best interests at heart on and off of the pitch. It is so important to us that Leon and ourselves feel able to approach Humphrey with any issues or concerns as well as sharing in the celebrations. He is a friend as well as an agent to Leon.
As a family do you have a particular ethos you live your lives by to get the best out of yourselves?
We are a Christian family and I think Leon’s faith helps to keep him grounded. Our hope is that whilst acknowledging and being thankful for his gift of exceptional ability, his understanding is that his character and worth as a person is not defined by his performance on the pitch but by his identity in God. But he is encouraged to give his all in any situation and opportunity to reach his full potential and be happy with his efforts. That’s all anyone can be expected to do.
What was it about Wolves that made you come together and decide this would be the best club for Leon’s development and future?
Wolves has been a great club for Leon to be a part of at this time. They have given him many opportunities to shine and push him to develop his skills in all areas of football.
He is also doing incredibly well with his BTech studies that the club provide alongside his football. The pathway ahead of Leon at Wolves looks very promising and it’s very exciting to watch his progress so far.
What do you enjoy most about living in Ditchling?
We live in Ditchling Village and are very much a part of the community here. Leon left Downlands after his GCSE’s last year and moved to Wolverhampton in July where he now lives with a very supportive host family, although whenever he has a free weekend he likes to come home.
With Ron being a former player of Ditchling FC, we asked Chairman Michael Stratford in December how far he thinks Leon Chiwome can progress in the sport, he added:
“Leon’s family are studious, caring individuals who support each of their five boys and with 18 year olds representing international sides in the Football World Cup, I would trust that Leon’s progress will include first team selection at Wolves and hopefully the first Ditchling resident to represent his country.”