Sonny Pike was one of the brightest young starlets football had seen. His rise and fame coalesced with the increasing glitz surrounding top-flight football in England.

Sonny joined Off The Ball to tell us about his crazy career, and how it coming off the tracks led to a breakdown with his dad and a ten-year hiatus from even watching the game.

Sonny Pike

"I remember getting a Sky Sports award in 1994 and 1995. When all of the Premier League players are picking up their awards, half-way through they say 'And for the 'up-and-coming player..' and they'd give me mine," Sonny says,

"I would go up and pick up my award, there'd be Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish and Alan Shearer all clapping me going 'well done, Sonny!'

"I remember being in the back of the car - they'd sent me a limo! - and looking back at the award. I was looking at this gold award thinking: 'Is that solid gold?!'

"But I was genuinely thinking to myself: I've done it. All of my idols were clapping me, telling me how well I've done, and looking at it thinking that I've hit the jackpot already. The reality was that I was only 5-10% on the journey."

Father-son problems

Sonny's father was involved from the get-go; his main interest was boxing, but the clear talent in his son drove him to organise his son's fledgling football career.

Before long, and a few media appearances, Sonny was over training with Ajax in Amsterdam, and other clubs were sniffing around. But upheaval was around the corner.

Sonny says he saw very little of the circa £250,000 for adverts with McDonalds, and sponsorships with the likes of Mizuno and Coca-Cola.

'I don't have a son anymore'

After a documentary where Sonny felt misled, his relationship with his father and football became strained. What was supposed to be a look into his football skill turned into a documentary about how Chelsea were poaching youngsters from London clubs.

"I was watching this documentary, thinking 'what the hell's going on?' and I just ran out into the road, I stood in the middle of this roundabout thinking 'I could do with jumping in front of one of these cars'.

"My dad wasn't there, which was unusual for him."

Sonny decided that it was time to have a talk to his dad.

"About four of five weeks later, I'm training with my coach, Terry, and dad walks over saying 'I've got some more work for you.'

"I said 'That's it, it's done.' This time I told him that this was finished. Then he said to me: 'If that's what you're saying, then I don't have a son anymore.'

"That hit me like a tonne of bricks."

Sonny Pike: falling out of love

In part, that led to Sonny falling out of love with football entirely.

"I struggled for a while. After going to Stevenage, I came away from the game completely. Sam Allardyce randomly called me to come and join Bolton. I get a little spring in my step and think 'I'm going to play in the Premier League'.

"I had to go and get fit, and I couldn't even last for three weeks. I had another couple of situations where I almost got back in, but realistically I couldn't watch football for close to ten years.

"I think it was a buildup of frustration, and I associated all of the drama that had gone on off the pitch with the game. As an adult, I'm realistic - the game is the game, I love the sport. I coach kids and do all the good stuff, but then I associated it with all of the drama.

"For close to ten years, I didn't even touch a ball."

Building bridges?

Is a rapprochement with his dad on the cards?

"Nothing as of yet, but when I got the book deal he did send a message over social media saying that if I needed any help... I sent a message back saying 'thanks for the offer, if I need any help I will let you know.

"I haven't seen him face-to-face since having that conversation with him outside the school, nearly 23 years ago. That was literally the last conversation I had with him."

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