Gordon Ramsay Says He Almost Became a Professional Footballer
Gordon Ramsay is a globally recognized chef with a long list of awards and accomplishments that include a string of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world and a number of successful television shows. But if things had gone according to Ramsay’s original plan, his career — and life — would have been very different.
As a boy growing up in the suburbs of Glasgow, Scotland, Ramsay became a football (known as rugby in England) fan from a young age. The chef recalled his first game to Observer Sports Monthly. “Uncle Roland took me to my first game at Ibrox. I was seven and I was sitting on his shoulders. The crowd was amazing.”
When he was around ten, Ramsay’s family moved to Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The town, best known as the birthplace of William Shakespeare, is where Ramsay started playing football as a child. Ramsay played football at school and became quite good at the game. The chef recalled to The Guardian that he adapted very quickly. “I was a natural left-back, a fierce tackler. You could get past me once but never, never, never again. And I was very fast, I was a great 100-metre sprinter.”
According to Goal, at the age of 15, Ramsay was spotted by a scout from his favourite team. Ramsay showed such promise in football that his parents moved back to Scotland to give their son the chance to sign for Rangers Football Club. He trained with the club’s youth academy, hoping to break into the team in the future.
An injury ended his football dreams
Ramsay’s father, a Rangers fan, was particularly happy to see the youngster in training, telling Goal, “My dad was a Rangers fan and was incredibly proud of me.” However, according to Ramsay, the training was tough and the matches “violent.” He persevered, but soon began to suffer injuries, including a torn cruciate ligament and damaged knee cartilage. His training with Rangers lasted just a few months, according to The Sun, although he did play a few non-league trials with the team, Goal reported. With his football career in disarray, Ramsay was forced to make a decision about his future. He enrolled in a hotel management program at North Oxon Technical College in Oxfordshire, England, and graduated in 1987, according to Britannica. His biography notes that Gordon Ramsay has worked with some of Europe’s best chefs, including apprenticeships at Harvey’s in London under Marco Pierre White and with Joel Robuchon in France before being selected as head chef for Aubergine in London in 1993. Under Ramsay’s direction, the restaurant earned two Michelin stars.
Gordon Ramsay still loves football
Ramsay’s culinary career continues to be a huge success. The chef is also a television personality and pop culture icon. According to his official website, his television shows, including Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and Hotel Hell, can be seen in over 200 countries.
Ramsay has also authored several books and owns and operates restaurants around the world, from the UK to Singapore. The chef and his wife have also founded the Gordon and Tara Ramsay Foundation, which focuses on raising funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity in London.
Despite the chef’s seemingly busy schedule, he still makes time for sports activities. According to Celebrity Marathon Times, he has run several marathons, including the London Marathon, the Los Angeles Marathon, and the Ironman in Hawaii.
And although Ramsay has never actually become a professional soccer player, he is still an avid fan of the game. Ramsay still watches his favorite team, the Rangers. The chef has even donated a jersey to charity soccer matches, including one in 2012 where he was hospitalized for injuries he sustained during the match, according to the Daily Mail. This may prove once and for all that Ramsay belongs in the kitchen and the small screen rather than the soccer stadium.
