Sheffield United (2010 – 2014)
I grew up in Sheffield, have lived there all my life and I was a boyhood Blades fan too. My family was split as my dad followed Wednesday and my mum followed United so there was always a rivalry growing up but I signed for United when I was ten so from there, I was always a United fan.
I owe the club a lot, I still follow them now and I have a strong love for the club and I’m thankful for what they’ve done to help my career.
When you’re a young boy you always dream and you often feel so far away, but when I got a scholarship at 16 that was a big moment as you start to believe you’ve got a chance and you just give everything up, try your hardest and make sacrifices to become a professional footballer.
But at that age, you still feel so far from the first team even though you’re just around the corner and when you do get through for the first time, you just have to take your chance.
I remember we had a run in the FA Youth Cup which took us all the way in 2011, when we eventually played Manchester United in the final. That really helped me being able to handle first team games because the pressure in the Youth Cup was big, we had 30,000 at Bramall Lane for the final and we knew how much it meant to the club.
We drew the home leg 2-2 and then got beat at Old Trafford in the second leg, so even though we lost, it was an unforgettable experience and it was a great occasion for everyone.
Hull City (2014-2017)
In my first year at Hull, I didn’t play as many games as I’d have hoped. When I first signed, at the time we were in the Europa League and Steve Bruce had signed a big squad for that.
But we got knocked out in the qualifying stage of the Europa League so we were sat there with a big squad of players and there were six or seven of us not even making the matchday squad on a Saturday.
It was hard for us, because if we’d made it into the Europa League group stage it would’ve enabled most of us to play more often and for the manager to rotate things. So I went out on loan to Wigan Athletic and I had a great time there, playing games more regularly.
The following season we were back in the Championship and that was my breakthrough year really. I think I played 30-odd games that season and I felt like it was a good season for myself.
We got promoted and won at Wembley in the play-offs which was a great way to end the campaign and get back to the Premier League.
The following season was my first real taste of it in the top flight. I felt I could cope with the pressure and play in the league so it was a pleasing year for myself. Obviously, it was disappointing to get relegated with Hull, but I made the move to Leicester in the summer and I’ve been on an upward curve from there.
Leicester City (2017 - )
I think Leicester are a club on the up, if you look at where we’ve gone in the last few years, they’re rising and I think we can keep on rising and still be challenging for the top half if not higher in the Premier League.
It’s been a good move for me, it feels promising and I’m looking forward to seeing where it develops and obviously the game time is important. I’ve been playing week-in and week-out and that’s so important for me.
England (U21s in 2012, seniors in 2017)
The U21s call-up in 2012 was a great boost and it gave me my first little taste of it when I played against Northern Ireland in Blackpool. That was enough incentive for me, to give me a little bit more hunger and determination to make it and prove myself at the highest level and get into the senior squad.
Thankfully, that’s happened and I’m here now. The atmosphere’s good, we had some good results and reached the World Cup by being unbeaten in qualifying. The spirit among the squad and staff is strong and I've really enjoyed being involved.
This interview is taken from the official match programme for England's game with Brazil at Wembley last November. Order a copy of any of England's recent programmes for more features like this.
