Six Questions: Lewis Freestone of Brighton & Hove Albion
Vibudh Dixit had the pleasure of chatting to Brighton U-23 Defender Lewis Freestone.
Here’s how it went;
You started your footballing career at Peterborough United, what is your favourite memory from your time there?
“There are many good memories that I have from my time at Peterborough United, such as walking out in front of 25 thousand fans against Bolton Wanderers away, but my favourite memory has to be my debut when I was 17, against Fleetwood Town FC at home.”
“The buzz from that moment was incomparable and unforgettable.”
Via the posh.com
Being a versatile defender, you would have come up against some really talented attackers in your career so far; are there any opponents who made your job more difficult?
“We played Norwich City in a pre-season game and I was up against Jacob Murphy (I was only 17 back then), he was athletic, technically good and very direct on the ball, I remember him just trying to take it past me on every opportunity - I would say he has been the toughest player so far in my career.”
Via Getty Images
Growing up, who were your idols in the footballing world?
“I’ve always seen Cristiano Ronaldo as a role model, the way he is so professional both on and off the pitch.
He's a leading example of the fact that if you’re willing to put in all the hard work and time, the rewards will show!
I see myself as that type of hardworking, giving-it-my all type of person.”
Via Getty Images/theposh.com
How did your loan spells at Bedford Town and Nuneaton Borough help you grow as a player? Are there any particular experiences from your time there that you would like to recall?
“I really enjoyed all of my loan spells, I think it’s brilliant for a younger player to be able to get regular first team football and mix up with some older, experienced players that know the game well.
You get great characters in the lower leagues that know how hard it is to make it, they try to offer you every bit of advice that they can.”
Via brightonandhovealbion.com
Your time at Brighton and Hove Albion will be coming to an end soon; are there any short-term goals that you've set for yourself for the future?
“My time at Brighton was really good, I learnt more than I ever have in my career so far and met some friends for life too.
It’s tough at the moment with the pandemic being around, it makes things quite unpredictable and harder to plan goals.
But for now, it’s about getting as fit as I can and being ready for when a chance comes around for me.”
Via brightonandhovealbion.com
You have managed to combine your studies with football and were named in the final three of the LFE Apprentice of the Year Award from League One in 2018, do you have any tips to young footballers to balance sports and studies?
“I remember when we found out as first year scholars, we would be doing education on certain days instead of training.
It’s a two year course but you can easily get it done in one with the right mindset!
I went into education thinking the quicker I get my head down and get this done, the more time I can spend training out on the field.
This allowed me to have a good education and even more time out training and I think this is why I got shortlisted for the LFE apprentice of the year award!
My advice to any player would be, put the hours and hard work into education because you never know when you might need the qualifications later on in life, and also the sooner you’re done with it, the sooner you can improve your footballing abilities!”
Via brightonandhovealbion.com