Brighton's Glenn Murray Reveals How He Nearly Gave Up on Football After Being Left 'Disillusioned'

Brighton's inform striker Glenn Murray has revealed that he nearly quit football when he was younger after a number of setbacks left him feeling "disillusioned" with the sport, as reported by the Telegraph.

Murray, who has scored 10 goals in 18 appearances for the Seagulls so far this season, had a struggling start to his career as a footballer when he was rejected by League Two club Carlisle United.

"I seriously considered quitting because I was so disillusioned,” Murray told the Telegraph. “I grew to hate my time there as a schoolboy. My abiding memories are of car journeys to and from games and training spent in silence, disappointment and frustration.”

The now 34-year-old was loaned out to Stockport County before he was then sent on loan to Rochdale, where, one year later, the move would be made permanent. 

After scoring 21 goals in 42 appearances for the Dale, Murray was bought by Brighton - who were at the time a League One club. His goals, a total of 53 in 118 appearances, helped fire Albion back into the Championship.

Murray's clinical qualities saw him quickly snapped up by Brighton's arch rivals Crystal Palace in 2011. Whilst at Selhurst Park, the forward scored 44 goals in 112 appearances and helped the Eagles gain promotion to the Premier League in 2013. 

Murray was subsequently sold to Bournemouth in 2015 but left just over a year later to rejoin his former club Brighton. Since move back to the South coast, the 34-year-old has rediscovered the goalscoring touch which fuels his desire to keep on playing the sport he once nearly gave up on. 

“Scoring goals is the best feeling in the world. It’s a habit. It’s a drug. Everybody runs away in the playground pretending they’ve scored in front of thousands of people. I do that for real.”