A young goalkeeper is overcoming the challenges of living with cerebral palsy (CP) to follow his dream of playing football, with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s CP team helping him to make strides on and off the pitch.
Reks Marku, 17, features on CBBC’s The Football Academy as it follows the lives of young Spurs footballers.
The show tracks Reks as he joins up with the Foundation’s CP team for his first ever tournament at the University of Warwick in March.
Reks was expected to mainly watch and learn from number one goalkeeper Joe Quick, but was thrust into the spotlight after Joe picked up a concussion in the early stages.
The tournament had a conclusion fitting for TV, with Reks helping the team go on and lift the CP Challenge Trophy – the team’s first trophy after forming last September.
Reks said: “It felt unreal. I was expecting to have a part to play, but not to the extent I did. I thought I was dreaming, but then I soaked it in and realised, one, I performed really well, and two, we won a trophy at the end of it. We hadn’t been together for long so that was a great achievement.”
Proud parents Elona and Isa cheered wildly for Reks and his team-mates. It marked an “extremely proud” moment for them after their journey with Reks. Recalling it, a teary-eyed Elona explained: “Reks was diagnosed at two years old. We knew he had brain damage when he was born and were prepared for the very worst, that being he may never walk, talk or see.
“He was only nine years old when he first asked why he was different. The hardest part was from 12-15, he was a teen with a disability, coming to terms with all the feelings. It’s been extraordinarily difficult, but since starting football with Spurs he has calmed and you can see the difference.”
While Reks played football at school, the Foundation has provided him with his first opportunity to play alongside others of similar physical abilities. He said: “The first time I ever told people I was playing for Spurs, they were all happy for me because they knew that was my dream.”
Elona continued: “Emotionally and mentally, I think he’s a lot calmer, a lot more collected, a lot more understanding, and while he’s still in the process of fully accepting his different abilities, I think it’s truly helped.
“It helps him realise he’s worth it. I think he feels, ‘even though I’ve got a disability, I can actually make something of my life, I can do something and people can look up to me’.”
CP is a heath condition affecting movement and coordination, primarily caused by a shortage of oxygen in parts of the brain before, during or soon after birth.
Elona said: “For Reks, generally, his left side is weaker than his right and he gets tired very quickly. Cognitively, it affects him in different ways and can be frustrating. We’ve come to realise we can only help him to manage his emotions in a correct way and the football with Spurs both helps with that and gives him an escape.”
In CP football, players are assigned a classification, ranging from minimally impaired to significantly impaired, based on their range of movement and the location of their impairment. There is a limit on the number of players from each classification allowed on the pitch at any one time. Matches are seven a-side and most often two halves of 30 minutes.
Reks concluded: “It feels great because all I used to dream about was being a football player, so to be playing, especially for a club like Tottenham Hotspur, it’s an amazing feeling.
“For now, I’m just focusing on Spurs and my development, but hopefully in the future I can win a load of trophies, play for England and in the Paralympics.”
John Abel, Foundation programme coordinator who takes charge of the CP team, said: “Reks has shown a great level of growth in a short period of time. His dedication to the game, along with support from us coaches and the rest of the team, is helping him realise his potential as a footballer and a person, and we look forward to seeing his continued development.”
The CP team trains and plays at weekends. Anyone interested in finding out more can email john.abel@tottenhamhotspur.com