It was a day before my 14th birthday and I’d been there from the age of six. It was horrible. You go from your day to day teammates who you see three or four times a week for a long period of time, it’s not just an hour of training, it’s travelling together, travelling home. It’s having certain days when you’re away doing tournaments. It’s your football family. <\/p>\n I was lucky enough to have my youth at Saints, so it was a nice experience. But obviously it all changed and then I got released. It’s quite sad but I still want to get back up and play as high as I can. Obviously signing as a pro and playing in the Premier League isn’t going to happen now, or you never know 100 per cent but it’s highly unrealistic. So I’m trying to do it virtually now. <\/p>\n I’ve always been a gamer but then FIFA came around and I was playing competitively. That’s what I do in my spare time and it became a full-time thing after I just kept getting better and better. It’s finding a good balance. FUTWIZ is a massive organisation and with FIFA I’m lucky enough to have a chance with them.<\/p>\n My manager at FUTWIZ he’s phenomenal; he understands everything and we’ve got a very good balance. I put FIFA first in some scenarios but when it’s a tough game in football for Basingstoke and the manager needs me, I can’t do it. <\/p>\n Football comes first in terms of keeping my fitness up and training. My spare time is where I dedicate it to FIFA. I’ve also had a girlfriend for five years who respects it as well, so it is tough but I’ve got a good relationship. I can balance everything really well. I’m not just stuck to my screen but when I’ve got that chance to play, I play and practise well. I don’t waste time. <\/p>\n I’m never going to stop my football. I won’t stop playing football until I die. Football is my life, I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. As soon as I could walk I was kicking a ball. That won’t change. <\/p>\n In terms of my life, I’ve got a good social life. If I had to choose being the best football player in the world or the best FIFA player in the world, it would 100% be best footballer. But even if I’m playing full time professionally at football or FIFA, where the wage was similar, it would be football because that’s the way I am. <\/p>\n
\nFIFA pro Reece Rusher has been playing competitively for around five years (Picture: ePremier League) <\/span><\/p>\nSo rewinding back to when you were released from Southampton, what impact did that have on you at the time? <\/h3>\n
Did you fall into the FIFA competitive scene? How did that transition happen? <\/h3>\n
Have you ever considered dropping one for the other in the past? Or has the balance always been relatively manageable? <\/h3>\n