After over 600 appearances to date, Michael Bostwick is appreciating every single moment in a career which he said could have come to a very premature end when he was a youngster at Millwall. But in typical fashion, it’s those early experiences in his career which made him into the battle-hardened character everyone knows but he certainly wasn’t sure how things would pan out.
“I probably couldn’t imagine how things would go at the time,” Michael admitted.
“I went through some tough spells, especially when I left Millwall. I was trying to find a club and there were some dark days. When I was back into non-league it was tough, but coming back in and playing all the games that I have since then is something I’m proud of and I’m quite happy with how things have gone so far.”
Michael says his style and commitment to the game has always been the same, and it’s something which he grew to enjoy more with each and every appearance.
“I’ve always enjoyed that side of the game anyway, tackles, blocks, headers. But those days early on did help shape the way I play, especially in non-league. It was tough playing against fully grown men when you’re not that old yourself, there’s no doubt that toughens you up a little bit.”
Off the field, Michael is the unassuming family man, something which people wouldn’t arguably expect due to his fully committed style on the pitch but it offers him the perfect balance, as away from taking the adulation of the crowd he just wants to live what people would consider a normal life.
“I think when you go over the white line you can be anything you want to be. But outside of football and off the pitch, your morals and what you stand for and what sort of person you are is key. With my wife and my three daughters at home, you have to be able to be that other person.
“I enjoy taking my kids to school everyday, then drive to work. It’s what I like to do. It’s great to be able to take the kids to school and come to work then pick them up after school, it’s great to be able to have both my work life and my family life together like that.”
With the enforced break from EFL competition currently in place, it will also give Michael the chance to take on his newest hobby away from the pitch, online gaming, it's something which he discovered a few months ago. But he doesn’t take his ‘work’ onto the digital field so you won’t see him as an opponent on FIFA20 at any point soon.
“No I'm not a FIFA player but yeah, I got into gaming just before Christmas. It’s a nice break from everyday life, getting on that it just takes you into a different world. That’s the good thing about it, you can go on there and no one knows who you are.”