Man Marking - Episode 21 - Matt Piper

Episode 21 "Childhood dreams and injury nightmares." Matt Piper had long dreamt of playing for his hometown club Leicester City, a dream he realised in 2001. The next 12 months saw Matt sent on loan to Mansfield, before returning to Leicester and establishing himself as a regular member of the first team. At the end of the 2001/2002 season, Matt scored the final ever goal at Leicester's historic Filbert Street.  The end of that season saw Leicester relegated, and Matt signed for Sunderland. He would spend five years with the Black Cats, making just 29 appearances, as a series of injuries put an end to his promising career.  What followed was a dark period, the end of Matt's career saw addiction, depression and seemingly no way forward. We talk to Matt about the difficulties he had with injuries, how his career ended, his recovery and what he's doing now.