Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos reveals early life battle which forged unbreakable spirit

For any young player, going on trial at big clubs can be a scary thought. To do it in a foreign country at just 21 years old? That would be a daunting prospect for most.

But not Kelle Roos. Because after discovering he had dyslexia aged just four, the Dutch goalkeeper developed a steely, inner strength. So as a footballer, tough times were never going to derail his ambitions. Roos left Holland on his own to go on trial at Birmingham City and Bristol City, without success. Later, after impressing for English non-league outfit Nuneaton Town, he had temporary stints at Liverpool, Everton and Sunderland.

Roos suffered several knock-backs before earning a move to Derby County in 2014. But nothing fazed him. Not after having to graft as a child just to learn to read and write. The Aberdeen No.1 says being dyslexic helped shape his character. The doggedness and perseverance he had to show as a youngster have helped him become the player – and person – he is today.

The Pittodrie keeper said: “When you are dyslexic at a very young age, you find out that what is natural to other people doesn’t come naturally to you. "Straight away, that means you will have to put in double hours. You realise that things don’t come easy to you. What does that look like in the life of a kid?

“Well, when your friends are out playing, you have to go for tutoring and spend hours to get your spelling or reading right. Some might find out when they’re in their teens and other people younger. I found out when I was four. Other kids started reading and I didn’t. It just didn’t click.

“But it does give you, at the early stage of your life, a resilience to know that not everything in life comes for free. I believe that once you overcome those challenges it