ON October 28, 1988, Ricky Junior Otto was sentenced to four years in prison aged 20 — the last of his five jail terms. “They had watched me playing football in the gym and realised I had a talent and expressed this in the most incredible way. “After that I became a gym orderly and started to prepare myself mentally and physically for a life after prison. “I had that pinch-me moment where I couldn’t believe I was going to be playing at Wembley.”After Birmingham, Otto played at Charlton, Peterborough and Notts County on loan. Yet in reflection of his extraordinary 56 years, Otto readily admits: “Without a shadow of a doubt, football saved my life.”

Source: The Times October 06, 2024 20:59 UTC