The path to stardom in the Premier League typically involves signing with a local football club as a youngster, playing through academy teams, and finally making a debut on the professional stage. For Aston Villa forward Leon Bailey, the route was different.

Born in Jamaica

Leon Bailey was born in Cassava Piece near Kingston, Jamaica. At the time, it was known for high rates of crime and gang activity. One day, his mother asked a local businessman with ties to Jamaican football, Craig Butler, if he could take care of him. He agreed, and Bailey went to live with Butler and his son, Kyle, as one of the 23 children adopted by the wealthy businessman.

Athletic aspirations

Bailey was inspired by successful Jamaican athletes and wanted to become either a sprinter or a footballer. After being adopted by Butler as a child, he played for Butler’s Phoenix Academy team. Knowing that Jamaican players had a challenging time getting the right opportunities for advancement on the island, Butler traveled to Europe in hopes of finding a professional club to take on Bailey and Kyle. Bailey has lived in Europe since he was 13, turning his back on the life of gangs and violence in the tough neighborhood he lived in until the age of eight.

Getting the right opportunities

Butler established the Phoenix All Stars Academy in 2011 and still runs it today to develop Jamaica’s football talent and educate young players in good values through the sport. A good example of this effort is Bailey, who was unable to read or write until he was 14 and now speaks several languages. When Butler recognized that several of his academy players had significant talent, he took them to Europe to find a professional club that would sign them. Butler brought a rucksack and a bag of balls and drove them to 200 different trials with several clubs, surviving on cans of tuna. Bailey caught the eye of K.R.C. Genk in Belgium after five years on the road.

Early adversity served him well

However, Genk could not offer him a contract due to strict FIFA rules on minors. He nearly joined Standard Liège but was not approved because he didn’t have a work permit. In 2013, he signed a professional contract with the Slovakian AS Trenčín. Later in the year, he made a verbal agreement to play for AFC Ajax, but FIFA rules prohibited the transfer. In 2015, Bailey was able to join K.R.C. Genk in a transfer from Slovakian team Trenčín. In August 2021, he signed with the Premier League club, Aston Villa and made his debut with the team as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Villa in September 2021 in a 3-0 win over Everton. His first season with Villa was marked by injuries, limiting him to just seven starts. Observers commented that the adversity he had already experienced in his life had prepared him for these obstacles, giving him a strong belief in himself. In 2022, Bailey scored four goals and four assists in 33 appearances for Villa, and in 2023, he is thriving under his coach, Unai Emery. In 18 games, he has scored six goals and made five assists. Bailey has now been described as the team’s most threatening attacker.

Photo – Deposit Photos