How Carl Winchester had to cross the Belfast divide to succeed

Not many will have put themselves in danger on the quest to play professional football, but as a youngster growing up in Belfast, Carl Winchester did.

The Shrewsbury Town midfielder grew up in West Belfast and is a Catholic, but as a boy, he made the bold move to join Linfield, a Protestant club.

Winchester says the decision was a risk, and his parents did not necessarily agree on what was the right thing to do at first, but he was glad he made the call.

He said: "I was asked to join Linfield, they were the big club about, and they were scouting the best young talent in the country.

"They were starting up an academy at the time, but Linfield is a Protestant club, and I am a Catholic. They came in and at the time you had never heard of a kid from West Belfast joining a Protestant team.

"I remember my dad came into and said to my mum 'Linfield want Carl to go and join' and I can remember my mum saying 'He is not going, no way.'

"She was like we are from West Belfast, how can he go there which is a proper Protestant place and play for one of the biggest Protestant clubs in the country.

"My dad ended up talking her around, and I went there.

"At the time, I did not know. I am only a kid going to Linfield was at the back end of The Troubles. And my mum and dad knew everything that was going on.

"In Northern Ireland at the time, it was proper bad even though it was all coming to an end.

"But at that time you wouldn't see a kid from West Belfast playing for a club like that."

The club themselves had no issues with the difference in religion, they were content to bring the best footballers together.

"They knew I was a Catholic, and they had no issues with it," he continued. "They just wanted all the best kids in the country to come and play for the team.

"We went and had a meeting with them and they sold it to me straight away – my dad thought it was a good decision for my football career.

"I support Celtic as well, and that is one of the biggest Catholic clubs as well. Most of the Linfield fans would all be big Rangers fans, and at the time Catholics and Protestants would not get on.

"Even now, it has changed so much, but there are big walls separating Catholics and Protestants but I don't think it is as bad anymore because you get loads of crossover.

"Back then I did not know anything about it and my dad thought I would be alright."

Winchester said he did not become aware of the situation until he was much older and he had a greater understanding of the history.

"One of my best mates I met through there. He was from East Belfast, and he was a Protestant and most of my friends were from Protestant clubs and big UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) backgrounds.

"We were only kids playing football and all that we were all mates – we did not know anything about it.

"When you get older you start to realise about it more."

"A lot of people would have been like 'Why is he doing that?' and 'Is he serious going to them?'

"I knew I would get a lot of criticism for the decision.

"I got a few things, but it wasn't really that bad. I got a bit of stuff, but I would just rub it off."