The sunsets over Mile End astroturf, the sounds of cages rattling, and the thuds of the ball became the normal tune for Albion Limani. His bursting runs and movements were second nature to him. Football was the language he spoke from childhood, the place where he felt at home.

Albion conducted himself as a true leader among his peers. He calls for the ball, kick-starting plays, and shouting words of encouragement to his teammates. But behind the composed play and captain-like attributes lie years of persistence and undying love for the game.

Albion’s journey began in a school playground in the borough of Tower Hamlets, where football was a way of belonging. “I joined my school team in year 7 more to fit in with everyone else,” he says. “But after a few sessions, I realised I enjoyed it.” What began as a kickabout with classmates transitioned to a real passion, which went on to define much of his life.

The earliest football memories came from the iconic red and white colors of Manchester United, stunned by the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo. Albion was glued to his screen in awe of what he was witnessing. “At the time, Ronaldo was at United, and my whole family supported them,” he recalls. “So, I instantly loved watching them play.”

The moment he felt most proud wasn’t when lifting a trophy or highlight-reel moments, it was when his dad came to watch his son play the game he loves. “That day,” he recalls, “I played the best I ever had.” For Albion, the scoreline, the team, or the opponents didn’t matter; it was finally having the opportunity to show his dad what all the hours of grinding had led to.

Back then, fame and money were not on his mind. The pure joy of watching one of your icons do the impossible on the football pitch motivated anyone to try and do the same. Albion knew football wasn’t just a sport to him; it was a place he turned to for self-discovery, a compass that guided him through the years of adversity.

It was initially a place where he sought to fit in, but it became much deeper than that. Football became part of him. “All my friends were playing, so I decided to play too,” he says with a grin. “Then it became my life; if I had any spare time, I’d find a way to play.”

The lockdown period lives vividly in his memory, a strange period for anyone, but a time that defined his dedication to the game. “My friend and I would go to Hackney Marshes from 7 am and train the whole day until 8 pm without eating, just to be able to play football.” Being scouted or seen was not in the forefront of his mind; the hunger he was feeling was fulfilled from the hours spent eating up the grass from morning till night.

The lockdown era is when Albion realised he wanted this dream to come true. “I decided to get fit and try my hardest at the sport I love,” he says. “It made me want to push myself out of my comfort zone to achieve bigger things.” The hours spent on the pitch became more important to him; he was training with a purpose, a reignited fire to pursue his wildest ambition.

This sense of belief directed Albion to a trial in Los Angeles, where scouts from MLS clubs gathered to spot rising talents. “A few of them came up to me afterwards,” he recalls. “It made me believe I had something good here.” The dream felt lived in.

Football… one of the cruellest sports. After suffering an ACL injury and a meniscus injury in his right knee in 2019, he still fought back, only to suffer a concussion during the LA trial. The following year, he then tore the same ACL. Surgery was delayed until November 2024. “Injuries were not my only problem,” he admits. “To become professional, you need to drop everything else and focus only on that, but it wasn’t possible for me. I have my friends, and most importantly, my fiancé. It would not be fair to her.”

The acknowledgement of his decision reflects true courage; it’s not an acceptance of defeat, but an understanding that sometimes walking away from a dream is worth it, to protect the parts of your life that matter more.

Albion, at 22, has undergone hardships that a lot would struggle to emerge from; it’s a testament to the support system he has around him. Once that second ACL injury came, there was an understanding that his dream was becoming out of reach. “After my second knee operation, I came to terms with the fact that I could not go further with football,” he grudgingly admits. “I’ve come to understand now it’s just for fun.”

Football for Albion was never just a sport; it was a feeling of belonging. Each time he stepped on the field, it was his language. But what happens when that language fades? Well, for Albion, it meant learning a new one, a language spoken through love, patience, and vulnerability.

“My fiancé was the main reason I didn’t get depressed, really,” he says. “She made me understand that life isn’t just one thing, and that’s it. It’s a journey, and you’ve got to move on from things.” Her comforting support, along with close friends, became an anchor for him. “I realised the people around me care about me and helped me through a dark time in my life. I’ve learned I can overcome things easier than I thought.”

Although Albion’s unable to play the same way, “my body doesn’t think as fast as my brain,” football is still part of his life, but plays a different role. The weekly kickabout with friends for fitness and laughter gives him the chance to play the game he loves with no pressure or expectation. He occasionally finds himself analysing matches, seeing glimpses of his old self in the players.

The transformation that matters most is what happens away from the pitch. “Football taught me to be patient and to keep seeking other things in life,” he reflects. “It also taught me how to become a leader.” This leadership trait allowed him to earn a role as manager, a different kind of success but built on the same ambition he once had for the game he loves.

“I’ve realised that life is short,” he says. “In the moment, you may think something is a big deal, but it’s nothing compared to the rest of your life.” Football may no longer define Albion, but it shaped the man he is and is becoming. The same boy who once played from dawn till dusk at Hackney Marshes now draws strength from the quieter moments, in love, patience, and in people who never stopped believing in him. The journey is not about defeat but rather rediscovery. Dreams are not always fulfilled, and life can force us to step away from our aspirations to see the bigger picture. For Albion, football gave him everything he needed to face the world in front of him: resilience, leadership, and patience. The beautiful game built him, broke him, and somehow built him up again, not as the player he once hoped to become but as the man he was always meant to be.