Growing up as a footballer’s daughter, Part 1

Good evening all, I'm chilling in my new dream reading chair… have Maldives tomorrow. I'm finally sober enough to think a bit clearer and go down memory lane (I do have a wine on the side, though). I don't want to bore you all and make it long, so I'll split it up and give you a bit today.

So let's give you a bit of background. My mum and dad are Dutch, and they met when my mum was 14 and my dad was 17 (gross dad); he took a shine to mum instantly as she was already a beauty back then and climbed through her windows and, well, basically I don't want any more details other than that so you're aren't getting any. I know my mum has only ever been with my dad… (don't worry, mum, I lived for both of us).

My dad has always had the mentality that when he wants something, he puts 💯 into it, and nothing gets in his way. I feel that also became part of my character, along with many other traits… I am my father! Anyway, it was football and no backup studies or anything for him. Luckily, he was good at football and got scouted early days. My mum and dad moved to England when my mum was 18 when his career took off. I'm going back to ghostwriting for Mum soon, so I won't go into the details as she can another day. Still, I think it's fair to say she was lonely and bored, so she decided to have me (she's never had a moment of peace since). Then my brother came along a few years later, and we moved around a lot, which was just the norm for us. I guess I find it weird when I'm in one place for a while; I always have itchy feet to go elsewhere.

We were always comfortable. I will say that, but money doesn't buy you happiness. I think any sportsman in the career heydays gets caught up in the attention (I'm so glad Simon has had his wild days, haha) and can sometimes abandon their family. I'm not going to go into this a lot, but my mum had to be a strong woman, and she is certainly that.

I remember going to watch Dad's games when I was younger, and I was too scared and devastated when I would see a goal go in his net; I would hide in the players' lounge toilets and listen to the crowd trying to work out if the game was going our way or not (see I've always been a weirdo from the get-go). My brother wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps. Still, one thing about my dad is that he is sincere and told my brother early days he wasn't good enough. You may think this is very harsh, but it made him shift his focus, and he is now a very successful coach.

Dad was a pretty hard man, to be honest, in his younger days (this was how he was brought up). He is a totally different man today, and he and mum couldn't be happier. I think I've always wanted to please my dad (I'm definitely a daddy's girl, and my mum hates it), and I'm just as competitive as him. One memory that really sticks out is when we were with our friends, and we were playing games (sequence if anyone knows that game)- Dad and I were a team (big mistake, HUGE). I played a wrong move, and Dad would go ballistic - many times, he made me cry. My mum and brother knew better than ever being on his team… he is so driven and competitive. Still, I have instilled that there is no second place; there is a winner and a loser. He never let me win at cards, even as a child - I learnt the hard way. (So think twice if you want to play against me at anything, is all I'm saying - it won't be pretty).

My brother and I argued a lot when growing up, but now we are the bestest friends. When he turned 15, I realized he could beat me up, and I stopped picking fights with him. He had it rough at school, and during the days when dad was in court and accused of match-fixing, the kids at school would make him give them money as his dad was a footballer and 'match fixing' - my brilliant mum was having none of it and went straight to the school - shouted at them and took him to another school. Matching fixing days were tough, and I'll go into that in part 2, but it tested us, and we really had to reunite as a family.

Those of you that know my dad know that he was part of the crazy gang in Wimbledon; he never really did share the stories with me, but ex-boyfriends have given me snippets (I'll make my dad reveal them to you) all I can say is that my dad is a bit crazy. Actually a lot crazy, but again I think I have that side of him. At school, many people would say, 'That's Hans Segers's daughter' I was so desperate to be my own identity rather than just someone's daughter that I think is why I got more outgoing, tried to be funnier, and basically be more of a character. I would never tell anyone my dad was a footballer. If you remember the premier league's first sticker album, he was like the most regular sticker that kept popping up in each pack and, like Eric Cantona, was probably the most rare… you'd all swap at school, but everyone had Dad like a million times… this always made me laugh.

Now I'm older, I'm super proud to say I'm Hans Segers's daughter; he inspires me every day, he was a legend, but he is even more of one now. I am who I am because of him, and he's one of the softest people you'll ever meet these days. His love for our dog Kelsey who recently passed away, was so special.

I'll leave it here and talk about the match-fixing, school days and getting very told off about internet dating at the age of 14 next time.

xBx

P.S. I'm still always playing against Dad, not with him ;)