From living for the weekends to living for God

Yeovil striker Rory Fallon has revealed the true reason behind his success – faith in God.

In fact, he reckons the Almighty even helped him bag the goal that took New Zealand to the World Cup finals a couple of years back.

“When I'm on the pitch I always talk to Jesus,” he said.

“I said 'Lord, give me one more chance'.”

Despite his devout Christian lifestyle, Fallon hasn’t always been a religious man.

After making more than 50 appearances for Barnsley, the star has gone on to play for Swindon, Swansea and now Yeovil, as well as loan spells at Shrewsbury and Ipswich Town.

He was a player in danger of not fulfilling his potential in his younger years and of becoming the sort of person who in the twilight of their years wistfully reflects on a wasted opportunity.

It was perhaps the low point of his career but, looking back on it, Fallon knows why - he had lost direction.

“I did not take football as seriously as I should have,” he said. “I just thought 'whatever'; I thought the game owed me whereas I actually owed it a lot.”

Fallon was living for the weekend and drinking too much. But even back when he was at Barnsley he had a suspicion that there was something missing in his life.

“When I became a professional footballer I thought what next? That got me thinking,” said the Gisborne-born striker.

“The first pro I cleaned boots for was Bruce Dyer at Barnsley and he was a born again Christian. I asked him what his faith was all about and it went from there but it has been a gradual realisation over time.

“I used to live for the weekend but now I live to glorify God.”

Rory and wife Carly discovered their faith together and were formally baptised in January 2008. Fallon, who has stopped drinking, now helps under-privileged children in Plymouth and is involved with his local branch of Faith and Football.