Teammates respect my faith and that I take it onto the pitch
Some would say Crystal Palace need a miracle to stay in the Premier League this season – but in Argentinian keeper Julian Speroni they are literally in safe hands.
The stopper, who has spent ten seasons at Selhurst Park, was magnificent as Ian Holloway’s men defeated Watford to clinch promotion in the play-offs at Wembley last season. But for 34-year-old Speroni, football isn’t at the top of his priority list – he’s also a committed Christian. He and wife Marina started attending church while he was playing at Dundee.
“We became Christians then,” he said. “I was going through a tough period in my career and I was growing tired of things.
“A friend told me that I could relax and leave everything in God’s hands. I didn’t understand very much what he meant, so he invited me to go church.
“I went and slowly understood what he was talking about. He read the words of Jesus: ‘Come to me all you who have worries, and I will give you rest’.
“It was a great passage for me at that time. So I decided to leave everything in God’s hands, and it worked for me.
“I had always believed in God, but up until that point I had never known what it was to have a relationship with him.”
Julian said his Palace teammates are respectful of his faith and believes his faith has transferred onto the football pitch.
He added: “It doesn’t change the way I train, the way I play. But what it changes are the priorities that I have. Before, it was all about winning. Obviously, when I step onto a football pitch, I try to win. But God knows that I want to win.
“So now, I pray that I will do my best and use the talents that he gave me 100 per cent. Then I pray that he will keep me healthy and that I’ll enjoy what I do.
“I am sure that my talent is a gift from God. But you cannot become a professional footballer only on the strength of talent.
“You have to work hard. And that is what I have done; I have worked hard to develop the talent that God has given me.”