Early Years
Jermaine Pennant was born in The Meadows area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. His father was of Jamaican descent, his mother is British. His father Gary was a semi-professional footballer who inspired Pennant to play. His mother died from cancer when he reached three years of age. As a result, he helped raise his younger siblings, two sisters and one brother. Pennant recalls how as a child his favorite toy was a football, and how it rarely left his side.
Pennant, who grew up in a crime and drug infested neighborhood, credits football for saving him from a life of crime. When he was 14, he moved away from home and was living with YTS players who were 16,17, and 18. Notts County provided Pennant a safe haven.
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Famous quotes containing the words early and/or years:
“The secret of heaven is kept from age to age. No imprudent, no sociable angel ever dropt an early syllable to answer the longings of saints, the fears of mortals. We should have listened on our knees to any favorite, who, by stricter obedience, had brought his thoughts into parallelism with the celestial currents, and could hint to human ears the scenery and circumstance of the newly parted soul.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Ice is an interesting subject for contemplation. They told me that they had some in the ice-houses at Fresh Pond five years old which was as good as ever. Why is it that a bucket of water soon becomes putrid, but frozen remains sweet forever? It is commonly said that this is the difference between the affections and the intellect.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)