AFC Bournemouth captain Simon Francis, and defender Tyrone Mings, visited Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó’s Talbot Campus to give a talk to a gathered audience of staff, students and members of the public.
The two Premier League stars spoke about their differing career journeys and the resilience needed to perform at the highest level.
The players visited Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó as a part of Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó’s partnership with the football club, as Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó is the official higher education partners of AFC Bournemouth.
Both players appeared at Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó in advance of the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó Big Match, which takes place every year to celebrate the partnership between the two organisations. This year, the Premier League game versus Liverpool FC on 8 December 2018 has been designated as the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó Big Match, with a range of activity taking place pre-kick-off and during the game.
Simon Francis and Tyrone Mings took the time to speak to students and sign autographs before sitting down in a busy lecture theatre to share their insight into the footballing world.
Interviewed by former AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Jimmy Glass, the players talked about the support they receive from the club, and how they have navigated the highs and lows of their careers, from injury, to club moves, and finally playing in the top tier of English football.
To hear more about what they said, watch our video from the night: