RAFAEL GARCIA has played alongside some of the very best in football.
As a teenager he represented England on the international stage with the likes of "special players" Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala and Cole Palmer among his team-mates.
But two devastating ACL injuries stopped him from taking the same path.
A gifted striker, Garcia spent the earliest days of his career at Fulham before completing a move to Everton's academy.
He appeared for both the Under 18s and the U23s during his time at Goodison Park, but suffered a huge setback when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
"At Everton when I did it I was out for nearly two years with that one," the 21-year-old tells SunSport.
"I had surgery twice so it put me a long way back in terms of development, everything really. It just put me back a long time."
The injury stopped him from breaking into the first team - then managed by Frank Lampard - and he subsequently moved to Spain in search of regular football.
Garcia signed for Alcorcon B, a team competing in the fourth tier of Spanish football.
It was meant to be a fresh start following an unfortunate setback, but disaster struck again on his debut.
The same injury, but his other knee.
"Just as I’m getting back and feeling good again I’ve done the other one, the other leg this time," he continues.
"Mentally it's more. It’s harder mentally more than anything because the physical side of the rehab I know I can do. But it’s the mental part that’s hardest for me."
Having recovered from the gruelling injury once again, he completed another move - this time to Finnish third division side JJK Jyväskylä.
"More than anything it was a thing where I didn’t really care where it was, where I was playing, I didn’t really care. Whether it was in Finland, England, anywhere because I just knew that I’ve got more than enough ability to impress anywhere I go, I’ve always backed myself when it comes to that.
"The manager here in Finland, he’s put a lot of faith in me and he’s believed in me which is something that no one really did at the time. He gave me something that not many other managers did - he trusted me, he believed in me.
"That’s the reason why I came out here. It might not be the most attractive to a lot of players but for me, I just wanted to play football again and he gave me the chance to do that."
Garcia is still enjoying his football - even though his career took a slightly different turn due to injury.
Before moving abroad he was an England international at youth level, deemed one of the best young players in the country.
Among his team-mates were Euro 2024 stars Musiala, Bellingham and Palmer as well as Chelsea's Noni Madueke, AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah and Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.
Recalling his time in the Three Lions set-up, he reveals: "All special players really.
"All the talent that you see now shining in the Prem and all over the world, at the Euros, things like that. It’s the same thing, even from back then.
"I think the likes of Jamal (Musiala), Jude (Bellingham), all of these players always were special, special players and you always knew that, even in that England set-up.
"I can’t say that one person stood out because everyone was special, everyone was good and everyone stood out in their own way."
One player in particular from that list has arguably become England's golden boy.
Bellingham single-handedly saved Gareth Southgate's side from a shock Euro 2024 last-16 exit on Sunday.
The Real Madrid superstar scored a stunning bicycle kick with less than 30 seconds to play in added time to level the game at 1-1 before Harry Kane went on to net the winner.
It doesn't surprise Garcia to see the former Birmingham boy shining on the big stage: "More than anything now is that he’s got a lot of confidence. It’s a confidence thing.
"Confidence is a footballer’s biggest weapon and I think that’s what he’s got now.
"Back then, I wouldn’t say he was as like he is now, but he’s definitely confident in his ability and now he’s more mature. Now he shows it off in a more mature way.
"But he’s always had that confidence and he always knew that he was a good player on his day."
The striker is also pleased to see former England team-mate Musiala shining - even though he now plays for Germany.
Musiala switched international allegiance in February 2021 and made his debut the following month.
The 21-year-old has since been capped 33 times and scored five goals.
But Garcia insists he wasn't surprised to see his team-mate join Nationalelf: "I saw it coming to be honest. Obviously he was at Chelsea and then when he made that move to Germany, it made sense.
"He was living in Germany, he was brought up German so it made sense as to why he would switch. It wasn’t a shock."
Despite heaping praise on his former team-mates, the striker is not so sure England will go on to win the European Championship this summer.
He concludes: "No. They have what it takes but I think Spain’s winning it. I’ve got to stick to my Spanish roots."