Leyton Orient footballer Adam Thompson has opened up about welcoming a new baby months after losing to his beloved dad to a rare form of cancer.
Adam Thompson, 28, went through an emotional rollercoaster when the death of his dad Mark, at the age of just 57, was followed by the birth of his own son Marley this year.
Mark encouraged him to stick with the game that would become his life's passion, taking him to coaching sessions from the age of seven.
Adam initially hated the sport - he would cry, scream and walk off the pitch. He only gave it another shot when his dad coaxed him back with a shiny new pair of boots, which he credits with winning him over and getting him to persevere.
Since then, he's been a regular fixture on the pitch, scouted for Spurs as a youngster and making appearances for Watford, Southend, Brentford and Bradford throughout his career.
He helped Bury and Rotherham secure promotion before signing for Orient at the beginning of this year.
And his dad was his biggest supporter at every step of the way - even after getting the devastating diagnosis of Glioblastoma multiforme, a rare form of brain cancer.
Mark would come to every one of his son's game - home and away - even after the news and while he was undergoing gruelling treatment.
The close relationship Mark had with Adam's playing career meant that when he tragically died just six months after his diagnosis, his son was hit both personally and professionally.
"That was the hardest moment for me in terms of off the field," the Harlow native said, explaining that one of Mark's first symptoms was that he forgot his own phone number.
"That was at Rotherham, we were in the process of trying to get promoted. It was horrible... I knew his time was limited, so then anything I did on the pitch, I knew that was going to be his last memory of me.
"I tried my best to try to make him proud. It was a season where we got promoted, he didn't get to see the promotion because he passed away in February but I like that he saw that promotion season."
Adam and his family have been struggling with their loss in lockdown and when the news came that his partner Catherine Turner was expecting, it was something they all needed.
"It was something just to look forward to, because there was nothing to look forward to anymore," he said.
"Without my dad here, it's just not the same. He'd come and watch me every game. The entire family would make a day of it. Whereas now it makes it into a negative because he's not here anymore. But then Marley came."
The family also bond over their shared love of football, which Adam is hoping to instil in Marley from a young age like his dad did with him.
Coincidently, Adam was alongside Harry Kane while he was on trial at Watford against Spurs - and also played under legend Gianfranco Zola in 2013.
He played in the game where Kane scored a hat trick which led to Tottenham re-signing him after they had previously let him go.
Reflecting on their time together, he had nothing but praise for the ‘amazing’ Italian - who would regularly show off his own skills in training sessions.
"As a manager, you need to gain respect straight away from the players," he said. "Because he already had the respect, everyone wanted to play for him."
Adam is looking forward to the game getting back to normal, but he says he's most excited about bringing little Marley to the stands to see his dad in action.
"I can't wait until he can know what's going on," Adam said.
"I'm not sure how long that will take but I'm excited for him to be in a stadium. I'm really excited for him to have his little Leyton Orient top on, and come and watch me soon."
