Manchester City FC:<\/b> Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo has credited the habit of journaling, which he began at the age of 14, for helping him overcome career setbacks and achieve his ambitions in professional football.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 26-year-old has come a long way after facing rejection at trials during his teenage years before securing a professional contract with Bristol City in 2018. A move to Bournemouth in 2023 helped him establish himself further, eventually earning him a transfer to Manchester City in January.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Semenyo said he began writing down his thoughts and ambitions as a teenager when he was struggling with overthinking, and the habit has since become an important part of his personal and professional development.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cA lot of the time I was overthinking, so it became a habit. I manifest what I want for the season and for the years ahead, and it\u2019s worked out well so far.\" Semenyo said in an interview with UEFA ahead of Manchester City\u2019s Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEvery goal that I\u2019ve written down so far has manifested. When anything pops up, I write it down and come back to it to see it at a later stage,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The winger has made an impressive start to life at City, scoring 13 goals in 35 appearances for the club, including the winner in last season\u2019s FA Cup final. He said the habit of revisiting his notes has also helped him track his progress and understand his development as a player.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFrom day one, I had to understand myself as a player. It\u2019s understanding the pace of the game, when to go slow, when to speed it up, and when to dribble. Pep drilled that into me a lot, and it\u2019s helped me. That\u2019s where the journaling comes in because I\u2019ve written all this stuff down. Then I can go back to it and tick it off,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Semenyo also acknowledged the role of adversity in shaping his character, recalling periods at Newport County, Bristol City and Sunderland when he struggled for form and found himself out of the team.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He said those experiences taught him resilience and the importance of remaining mentally strong during difficult phases of a career.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s made me, ultimately, resilient. I\u2019m strong-minded and have strong character. Anything in the way is just a blur; I\u2019m always going to be tunnel visioned on what my goal is. If I want something, I\u2019m going to get it eventually. You need to be strong-minded to get through those moments. If you\u2019re not strong-minded, you\u2019ll fall,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Semenyo added that playing alongside some of the world\u2019s leading players at Manchester City continues to help him learn and improve.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s made me, ultimately, resilient. I\u2019m strong-minded and have strong character. Anything in the way is just a blur; I\u2019m always going to be tunnel visioned on what my goal is. If I want something, I\u2019m going to get it eventually. You need to be strong-minded to get through those moments. If you\u2019re not strong-minded, you\u2019ll fall,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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