Alone and visibly troubled by the rain on Merseyside, spectators in Anfield’s famous Kop stand rushed for the exits as Nathan Eccleston’s 14-year commitment began to falter.
“I thought my world had ended because no matter what age you are, you have to take responsibility as a professional footballer,” he told the ECHO in an exclusive interview. The then 19-year-old striker was given the simple task of converting a free-kick from 12 yards. For Eccleston, traveling to meet legends Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres at council houses in north Manchester has earned him a living for three-quarters of his life.
It was September 2010 and Roy Hodgson was no longer in charge of Liverpool, but excitement was growing among the fans. With the new season just weeks away, fans are already looking forward to the end of the season as trophy-hungry Manchester United host Northampton Town in the third round of the League Cup. The match will be used as a precursor to how the club’s standards will drop during Hodgson’s six months of turmoil.
