In my first pre-season in my first job as a head coach, I got really ill.

When I had gone for the job at Maryland Monarchs, everyone had said I was too young. Then, when I got it, everyone said it again.

I was 27, and I wanted to prove them wrong.

The club didn’t have a lot of resources, so I was doing all the analysis myself. In fact, I had to do everything myself.

But, that first pre-season, it was cold. There was snow, the temperatures were low. It was just terrible. I remember one day, during training, I couldn’t stop coughing. I had to go over to the corner of the field to hide it.

I felt awful, but I didn’t want to tell anyone. I was conscious of how young I was, and I didn’t want the owners thinking I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want anyone at the club to know, so I went to see another doctor – one outside the club.

I had walking pneumonia.