Jose Enrique is not one to back away from a challenge. Still only 35, the Spanish former Premier League and La Liga player has beaten cancer.
He has also had to battle mental health problems which surfaced following the end of his playing career. Enrique has since thrown himself into exercise and says he is now ‘happier than ever’ - despite the current form of his old clubs Liverpool and Newcastle.
Together with fitness coach Steve Butler, Enrique has launched Amplified Coaching Online with the aim of helping others use exercise to live happier and healthier lives.
‘The first year after I retired I started eating everything that I never could as a player,’ Enrique tells Sportsmail. ‘All of a sudden I didn’t look the way I wanted. I struggled with all the problems like motivation and then I had my brain tumour as well.
‘I’ve been through the worst with mental health. I went to a psychiatrist, I still go to my psychologist. I never believed in them before I had mental health problems. I go and I release all my problems and I come out and it’s okay.
‘Some of my friends didn’t understand they said “Jose, you have everything. You have been a footballer, you have made a lot of money from it, you have a nice house.” And I said “But I’m not happy. I wish I felt happy, I don’t want to be this way.” Exercise and going to my psychologist helped so much, it changed my life.’
Enrique, based in Spain and coach Steve, who lives in New Zealand, host five HIIT sessions which are then shared on their website for those who are not able to take part live. Morning workouts take place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.30am UK time with an 8pm session on Tuesday and Thursday.
Steve will demonstrate a harder version of the exercises while Enrique will do the easier option and participants are given a choice of which one to follow. They also use the Telegram Messenger app which allows everyone to connect with the coaches and each other while meal plans are provided for those who want to lose weight.
‘We wanted to try and get as many people as possible involved,’ Enrique says. ‘People are enjoying it. I’m trying to be as close as I can with them. Steve is amazing, he’s so great at what he does. He does the hard part and I do a second exercise for people who are not as fit.
‘We wanted to build something that was affordable for every single person. A fitness coach, they can charge you €50-60 a session and we charge €20 a month for 12 live sessions. A lot of exercise you have to do it yourself but this is less alone. In the UK you might not want to go for a run if it is always raining!’
Enrique is hoping to get his former Liverpool team-mate Alberto Moreno involved in one of his sessions in the summer. Both are likely grateful they didn’t experience a defensive crisis like the one Jurgen Klopp has been suffering. ‘I think you have to say well done to the boys that they are still in the title race with all the bad circumstances they’ve had this season,’ he says.
‘We have been struggling more with the teams at the bottom of the table. It’s more a mental thing. The Premier League I think is going to be very difficult. Manchester City are on fire.’
He is, however, impressed by the performances of Jordan Henderson at centre-back. Enrique was signed in the same transfer window as the 30-year-old and is delighted to see the recognition he has received.
‘He’s the new [Virgil] Van Dijk in the team! I saw [James] Milner say the other day, he’s doing so well as a centre-back he needs to be careful otherwise he’ll stay. You can play him anywhere on the pitch, same with Milly, and you know they are going to perform because they are leaders.
‘People started criticising Hendo early on which is normal when you move to a big team. He arrived when he was 21 and I always say I understand how he was feeling because it happened to me on a lesser scale but when I arrived at Newcastle I was 21 as well and it was so difficult to start in the Premier League.
‘He arrived at a big team and everyone straight away is saying “he’s going to be the new Stevie G” and it’s a lot of pressure. He put himself under a lot of pressure as well because he really wanted to perform. But since the first day you could see he really wanted to work hard, not just as a footballer but as a man as well.
'I’m the happiest man in the world because he really deserves everything. He’s a great captain and a great guy. He’s an example for every single kid in the world.’
What is happening at his other former club in England has been a hard watch at times.
‘Every single year is painful really,’ he says of Newcastle. ‘They have a massive fanbase, the stadium is beautiful. I loved it there to play at St James Park and the fans make it so nice. Even when we got relegated we had 42,000 every single week at home.
‘It’s a club that I believe deserve to be in the top six for the fanbase and the type of team it is. At least try to fight for the fifth and sixth positions, seventh and eighth - that should be the target for Newcastle every single season.
‘I believe Steve Bruce is a really good manager but when you have Rafa Benitez before, you are talking about a manager that won titles and Champions Leagues. Rafa wanted more control and I believe he deserved that control but that wasn’t there with Mike Ashley.
‘The results are not great, the team is not playing well either. It’s sad to see this to be honest. I have been relegated myself and I know how painful it is for the fans. The Championship is not easy at all, it is a tough league so you don’t want to go down that road.’
Enrique has also been keeping an eye on La Liga and was damning in his assessment of the current situation at Barcelona.
‘I believe they have been doing wrong things for a few years now in terms of signings, paying too much for players. I knew as soon as they let Luis Suarez go he would do well for Atletico Madrid just to shut up everyone there!
‘This with [Lionel] Messi has been going on for a few years. With what happened with Luis as well, he wasn’t happy because they are good friends. I believe it is a possibility that he will leave Barcelona, Messi can play wherever he wants.’
Could he see him at Manchester City?
‘I really hope City don’t sign him! The only team Messi is allowed to go to in the Premier League is Liverpool or Newcastle!’
To find out more and sign up to Amplified Coaching Online, visit www.amplifiedcoachingonline.com