Meet Jude Geoghegan, inspirational coach with spine defect who realised Wembley dream at Community Shield

JUDE GEOGHEGAN celebrated the proudest moment of his young career at with a Wembley award this weekend.

The 20-year-old was born with a spine condition which means he has to use crutches in everyday life.

But the determined youngster didn’t let that stand in the way of his football dreams.

Jude started an inclusion team at his side Estudiantes in north London, creating opportunities for players with all different levels of disability.

And Geoghegan won Coach of the Year Disability Pathway at the Grassroots Football Awards this weekend.

He was presented with his prize by Paul Merson and FA chief Mark Bullingham before the Community Shield on Sunday.

The 20-year-old spoke to SunSport before Liverpool’s clash with Crystal Palace.

He said: “Being here is something I’ve dreamed of – it means a lot to me, and my family and friends as well.

“Since I started coaching 11 months ago, it’s been something that I’ve really wanted to get to and I feel like I’ve accomplished that.”

Geoghegan has Spina Bifida – a neural tube defect.

According to the NHS website, it is when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine.

Geoghegan said: “It affects my walking because I use crutches.

“But I’ve overcome that because I’ve started to realise that there’s a lot of inclusive pathways in sport.

“I got into football when I was five or six years old.

“I always used to play outside my back garden but never used to really get into a team.

“In 2021, I became part of the Estudiantes London.

“They really made me feel included and that’s when we started our inclusion programme.

“I started coaching because I wanted to make football more inclusive at the club I was at.

“I found it a bit nerve-wracking at first, but in the last six or seven months I’ve gained more confidence.”

Geoghegan is a Tottenham supporter, but has taken his programme to Premier League grounds for training sessions.

He still has big ambitions for coaching despite already overcoming the odds.

“We’ve been to Chelsea and Fulham,” he said. “And month we go to Watford as well.

“I want to start coaching and opening doors within Premier League clubs and try and improve the inclusion programme.

“The team have got a lot more confident in their playing, they’re much more talkative.

“I feel it gives them a lot of confidence to do what I do, whether it’s playing or coaching, because you never know where you could end up.”