I was imprisoned for theft of 15 years – now I am an academic scout for Arsenal

Joseph Bol has gone from the actions of drugs, are stabbed by rival gangs and the publishing of three separate stints in prison, to helping Arsenal to discover new talent as an academic explorer.

Bol, 39, has turned his life around, in which crime is put in his rear -view mirror and excels as a football scout.

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Bol works like Arsenal‘S Grassroots Academy Coordinator for East Londs, so that the Gunners can identify the best talent about U9S to U14S level.

It is far from what he did at the same age as the young people, where Bol is sent prison For three years just 15 years old for theft.

He was also packed in the trade in class A drug And ultimately also convicted.

Spend against TimeHe remembered: “I wanted things that my mother did not consider necessary, such as designer clothing, trainers, and that led me over a smooth slope.

“I stopped playing football and started selling and smoking, and then it became more class A drugs. I was just in a bubble that this would be my career path.”

After he had left prison for the first time, Bol pointed his attention to rap music – Gain millions YouTube View for his songs about crime.

He added: “I came out and admired my colleagues, it increases your ego and I just started raping about what I was going through.

“It was more about selling drugs. We didn’t really have postcode wars at the time.”

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Bol, who remembered that she took math and English GCSEs in a young perpetrator institute, was packed in the world of crime for a while.

And was even stabbed in the arm and leg while at one point he was on the front seat of his car by four members of rival gang.

But after being 21 and ended himself in an adult prison, Bol’s life changed, thanks to an officer who encouraged him to complete FA Level One and Community Sports Leader Coaching Courses.

He remembered that decision helped him to “break the cycle” and he started to register at a local football club when he was released from prison.

In 2012 he founded his own Grassroots team, AC United, which snowed in a club with eight teams with versions that attracted the attention of top scouts.

Bol continued to rap about his old life at the same time, earned a reputation under his stage name “Joe Black”, and even acted as a support act for Hiphop superster Rick Ross.

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Unexpectedly it was his rap career that Bol helped to land his first right job in football.

A striking player at AC United, Clinton Mola, was invited for a trial period Chelsea – With Bol who accompanies him to the training field.

Upon his arrival in Cobham, Bol was harassed by a group of U14 players – including a young people Reece James – who recognized him from his music videos.

Chelsea acknowledged the influence and impact that BOL had in the local community and decided to hire him as a member of their coaching staff.

They also signed Mola, who now plays for Bristol Rovers in League One and represented England From U16 to U21 levels.

Bol remembered that he was worried that Chelsea would reject him after a DBS check of his criminal history.

He said to the Times: “Unlawfully, because there were clear concerns after what appeared [on the DBS check].

“I made a risk assessment and they asked me how I ended up in these situations and what I had done to change my behavior to ensure that I would not fall back into those old patterns.

“To make a long story short, I think the years that I had unpaid coaching led a long way to the past.

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“They could see that I made a great effort to make a change. I got the role and I was just over five years old.”

From there, Bol’s career in football exploration took over and made the switch to Arsenal’s Academy in 2020 – where he has been since then.

Work together with Academy Manager Per MertesackerBol’s role is to manage a group of scouts and to ensure that they always treat all parts of East London.

Along the way he helped dig up and develop some of the most exciting young talents of the Premier League.

Zain Silcott-Duberry, who made his first debut Bournemouth This season, only one of the young people he has developed in developing.

While 14-year-old Trey Faromo, has helped to identify another sphere, is considered one of the smartest talents in the country and recently made his debut for Chelsea Under-18.

Now Bol is focusing on a place like the head of recruitment at a Premier League club, but still acknowledges how far he has come.

He said: “I am proud of where I am going. It is good to think occasionally to remember how far I got”

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