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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

Wonderkid restored love for football by coaching next generation and becoming taxi driver

A lot of people will remember the name Sonny Pike and his trademark curly hair.

In the mid-nineties, the teenager was viewed as English football's big next thing. He often appeared in the media and had several sponsorship deals with the likes of McDonalds, Mizuno and Paul Smith. His legs were even insured for £1million, such was his promise.

By the new millennium, though, Pike's love for the game had evaporated. He never became a pro footballer, instead pursuing an ordinary life out of the limelight. Yet doing that has rekindled his passion for football - and he's now helping hundreds of youngsters.

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