Son of Dutch football legend, Dean Gorré, Kenji was tipped to stardom from a young-age, when he played for both Manchester City’s and Manchester United’s academies at just 6 years old.
This was the perfect footballing education, as he learned from the likes of Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand on a daily basis on the training ground. Unfortunately, at 18 years old, Kenji received a brutal setback when he was informed by Sir Alex Ferguson that he was being released by United.
However, Kenji didn’t give up on his professional football dream and ended up playing for Swansea City in the Premier League – proving that setbacks can become opportunities with the right attitude. Although, while in Wales, another difficult period ensued, with Kenji battling a gambling addiction.
Fortunately, Kenji overcame the addiction and he’s now happier than ever, enjoying his football for Nacional in Portugal and playing for the their national team. He is more than just a footballer He is using his experiences of dealing with setbacks to help other footballers fine tune their own mentality.
He’s recently founded On The Ball - a service where elite footballers can learn more about developing the correct mind-set for elite sport and also hosts Konversations with Kenji, a podcast discussing the mental side of football. Make sure to tune in as Founder Glenn Marsden and Kenji discuss a journey of an elite level athlete who endured setbacks, addictions and a come back to empower and inspire countless others.
You can find more about Kenji via his socials at: IG: kenjigorre
Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/konversations-with-kenji/id1507169121
The Imperfectly Perfect Campaign is creating awareness and not a substitute for professional advice. Should you need help, please refer to your nearest crisis numbers. For the United States of America; 911 for all emergencies, alternatively the national suicide hotline on 1.800.273.8255 (TALK) For Australia; 000 for all emergencies, alternatively call Life Line Australia on 13 11 14
A big thank you to our Voice-Over Artist: Mike Christensen (thevoicemonkey.com)
