Fulham midfielder Ryan Sessegnon headed back to his former primary school in Roehampton, south-west London, as part of the Premier League's More Than a Game campaign, to surprise current pupils as part of an afternoon themed around resilience and wellbeing.
Following five seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, the versatile left-sided player rejoined Fulham this summer. He first signed for the club at under-9 level and, after making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2016, he went on to make more than 100 appearances in all competitions.
During his visit to Heathmere Primary School, Sessegnon discussed the importance of resilience in his career. He explained how he remained positive when faced with setbacks, as he took part in a Premier League Primary Stars assembly, led by Fulham FC Foundation staff.
See: Premier League Primary Stars resource - Resilience
“It has been amazing to revisit my old primary school, to spend time in the classrooms and playground, and to catch up with some of my teachers," said Sessegnon, whose twin brother Steven was also a pupil at Heathmere.
“It has definitely been a memorable and inspiring day for me, so I hope it is for some of the young people here too!
“To me, resilience means never giving up. Being positive is really important, whether you are studying at school or a professional sportsperson.
“My advice to anyone, including the pupils here at Heathmere Primary School, is to be dedicated and focused on your goals and to always behave.”
Following the assembly, Sessegnon was interviewed by Year 6 pupils in the playground and watched the school’s girls and boys football teams take part in a training session, before joining them for photographs with the Premier League Trophy.
Etty Van der Merwe, a teacher who led school sports during Sessegnon’s time at Heathmere, said: “Ryan was part of our school football team 15 or so years ago.
“He and Steven both played for the team from Year 4 through to Year 6 and helped the school to win a number of competitions.
“They were talented but always very humble and showed how to be a good winner and a good loser.”
Heathmere headteacher Emma Lewis commented: “It is really inspiring for our pupils to see someone like Ryan, who grew up nearby and had his education here, having such a successful career.
“Fulham is our local Premier League club, so we are really happy to be working with them. They are supporting the school by providing a high-quality coach who will upskill our teachers and delivery of PE.”
'An inspirational figure'
Kayleigh Bowers, primary education manager for Fulham FC Foundation, said: “Premier League Primary Stars has given us the opportunity to bring the story of Ryan’s journey to life.
“Ryan is an inspirational figure for these young people and we hope it acts as a catalyst for many boys and girls to pick up a football and start playing.
“Using the power of Fulham FC’s badge, we will continue to work with the children throughout the year to generate new playing opportunities and to help pupils develop important life skills through a range of interventions.”
