Marcus Hahnemann told Goals on Sunday why the fear of losing his car made him become a footballer.
If things had turned out differently, Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann might have ended up as a basketball player, an American footballer, a baseball star or even a downhill skier.
But he might not have become a sportsman at all had his dad not threatened to take his car away from him at high school!
The Royals stopper popped into the
Goals On Sunday studio this week to tell Paul Boardman and Chris Kamara the story of why he decided to become a footballer when he was growing up in the United States.
He revealed he was good at a number of sports but was about to give it all up before an ultimatum form his father made him change his mind.
"Like every American, I grew up playing everything," Hahnemann said.
"Youth soccer in the States is huge. Every five-year-old basically starts to play soccer and baseball and at that age you're playing tee-ball where they put the ball in a tee so you can actually hit the thing.
"When I got into high school I played basketball, American football, baseball and soccer as well. I was going from one sport to another and it got tiring after doing that for a while.
"I wanted to go skiing on the weekends as well, but I couldn't because I had basketball practice on a Friday night, soccer on Saturdays and Sundays and it was all too much.
"Something had to give, but my dad said if I gave up sports altogether he'd stop paying for my car and I'd have to get a job.
"I really liked soccer and I was better at that than anything else so it basically picked me."
Improving
Having decided to focus his attentions on football Hahnemann soon set his sights on the Premier League thanks to the influence of an English goalkeeping coach - and also the arrival of Sky Sports in the USA!
He continued: "Sky Sports and their relationship with Fox Sports meant we got Sky Sports News and everything else on American TV.
"I've always wanted to come here, ever since university when Paul Barron, who is now goalkeeping coach at Newcastle, came over and coached at my college camp.
"I've known him since 1989/90 and he kept coming over and seeing me. I came into the game late because I was at university and I wasn't playing full-time.
"I kept improving and eventually he said he had to get me over here."
Hahnemann also reflected on a difficult season in which Reading have struggled for long periods.
The Royals look likely to avoid the drop, but this season has been much more difficult than their first Premier League campaign which saw them finish eighth in the table.
Hanhemann admits it has been frustrating campaign, but he says the steadying presence of manager Steve Coppell - and his simple tactics - have pulled the players through.
Syndrome
He added: "Everyone kept asking us about second-season syndrome at the beginning of the season and we kept trying to think it wasn't going to happen, but we got lured in.
"Maybe we weren't doing the same things as last year and people figure you out as well, which has a big influence. We've found it a lot more difficult this season.
"We'd play well and still get nothing from games and that's what happens when you're in the Premier League.
"In the Championship you can play poorly and still find ways to win, but at this level with the size of squad we have we can play well and might end up with nothing.
"Sometimes that is really frustrating and it's really easy to get your head down.
"But Steve Coppell is really good. He doesn't go overboard with information and tries to give us simple things, simple tactics and that means we have a chance of achieving it.
"Sometimes you can make it way too complicated. Coaches will come up with some formations and people will be thinking 'what's he on about?' 4-4-2 - that's how you play."
