The Nutmeg that Gave Me Tunnel Vision for Motivation & Success.

To some it’s a tasty spice you add to porridge or béchamel sauce; to a footballer (soccer) player, a ‘nutmeg’ is the embarrassing situation midgame where your opponent flicks the ball straight through your legs and then collects the ball on the other side. Rhyming slang for legs, it’s usually accompanied by loud cries of ‘nutmeg’ or ‘megs’ from opposition players so it’s celebrated publically in ways you don’t want! Per the cover photo to this article, it’s the ultimate on-field humiliation.

I’ve been on the receiving end of megs (former teammates may say a lot!) but I recall the rare time I called it out on someone else. I had been travelling all over the United Kingdom and this was my 8th trial in professional football, attempting to secure a full-time contract at an English Premier League club.

A lone Australian, trying to make the...