Tommy St. Jago: ”Recovering from two serious knee injuries was tough, but I’m a positive person”
In the Willem II dressing room, fashion is often a topic of conversation. Tommy St. Jago (24) occasionally gives teammate Kyan Vaesen some advice: “I want to be someone who can inspire others.”
“One and a half years ago, I joined Willem II to reach this point: playing a lot, enjoying football, and competing in the Eredivisie,” says St. Jago. ”It’s a great squad. Outside of training and matches, I often hang out with two teammates—Belgian players Cisse Sandra and Kyan Vaesen. We love card games like Battleship, Uno, or Take Five. Sometimes we play for a pot of money and then use it to go out for dinner.”
”I can definitely say fashion is a big topic among us. The guys enjoy dressing well. When you walk into the dressing room, they’re not shy about commenting on your outfit. Recently, Kyan Vaesen has started asking me for fashion advice. I’m pleased with his progress, haha. We even went shopping together in Tilburg not long ago. ‘I need some fresh kicks,’ he told me. ‘Show me which ones you like.’ The Life After Football photoshoot was a new experience for me, though I can say I am familiar with it. My girlfriend Nazeli is a model, and I’ve accompanied her to plenty of shoots. A photoshoot with Life After Football? I wouldn’t mind doing more of those, haha.”
A positive outlook
“Recovering from two serious knee injuries was tough, but I’m a positive person. I think that comes from the people around me. When you’re surrounded by positivity, it rubs off on you. I never had dark thoughts about not making it back as a professional footballer. Plus, I actually enjoy gym workouts. That said, it was also my downfall at times—wanting to do too much in the gym can push you too hard. It’s something I’ve learned as a person: to better understand my body. When does it need rest, and when can I push it further? I can gauge that much better now.”
Behavioural coaching
“Talking with a coach helped me a lot. For me, it was crucial that the focus during recovery wasn’t solely on rehabilitation. Finding balance was key, and I can now say that was the secret to recovering as effectively as possible. With a behavioural coach, I discuss how to best present myself as a defender and a leader within the team. How do you address your teammates? I want to inspire others, not be a captain who angrily shouts orders at them.”
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