Meet the footballer sharing game's inside secrets - and inspiring next generation

Cars, lifestyles and on-pitch performances are often the only aspects of footballers’ lives the public are exposed to.

Like a snow globe, an extremely expensive one at that, the life of a football player is revered from the outside looking in.

However supporters do not see the often-painful experiences; varying from injuries and defeats to those dreaded conversations with managers and board members, that often end with players strolling out the exit door for good.

But Eastleigh defender - and the second youngest Crystal Palace player of all time - Alex Wynter is hoping to offer insights often hidden from the public eye.

Wynter currently finds himself in the all-too familiar position of recovering from a significant injury.

But in and among his physio therapy and long gruelling sessions in the gym, the defender has also found time for his blog – Fly On The Ball, a first-person memoir where he details his experiences and the many football processes all players will go through during those careers.

He has forensically detailed his current recovery program at Eastleigh, while also offering fascinating insights on the process of negotiating and signing new contracts at side and the biggest misconceptions in football.

Speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport, Wynter said: “I wish I had someone who had an insight into the journey I was on.

“Instead of facing those ups and downs when I came across them, I wish I had an understanding of how to deal with those moments before they happened.

“Maybe I would have handled those better, and also prepared myself, mentally or physically, for those moments.

“I wish I had somebody to lean on and to sponge off so I could really soak that knowledge and experience up to give myself