I played for Liverpool and was stabbed by five masked men

I played for Liverpool and was stabbed by five masked men - now I could win the league

Andre Wisdom was stabbed in a brutal attack outside a house in Liverpool in June 2020 but is now back playing football with Irish club Derry City.

Former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom (Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images )

At first glance, you might assume the pinnacle of Andre Wisdom's life and career would be the moment he scored on his Liverpool debut at just 19 years old. Alternatively, it could have been the night he played in front of a staggering 100,000 spectators or the occasion he captained England's Under 21 team, which featured Harry Kane and John Stones.

Perhaps it was one of his appearances at iconic stadiums like Anfield, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, or the Emirates, or even the Wembley play-off final. His impressive resume also includes a £4.5m transfer, a league and cup double with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, 145 games for Derby County, and 22 for Liverpool.

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However, Wisdom insists, without a hint of irony, that achieving a league and cup double with Derry City within the next five weeks would surpass all his previous accomplishments. "It would be right up there with everything," he told the Irish Mirror.

While it may seem illogical, given the grandeur of Anfield and other stadiums he has played in, the Brandywell Stadium holds a special significance for him. The life-defining moment that nearly ended his life didn't occur on a football pitch. Instead, it happened outside a house in Liverpool at 4:30 am when five masked men attacked him, stabbing him in the leg, buttocks, chest, and head, before stealing his watch and leaving him frozen in time. Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years.

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His promising career came to a sudden stop. The defender, once chosen by Brendan Rodgers, trained under Jurgen Klopp, and given the captain's armband by Gareth Southgate, found himself in a crisis. His income ceased. From a position of financial freedom, he was now counting pennies at the supermarket, checking the price tags on every item.

Despite numerous attempts to bounce back, he kept failing. "I failed. I tried again. I failed again. I tried again."

Then last year, he joined non-league Warrington Town and made a significant impact. This summer, Derry City signed him. He has fallen in love with the city, its unique accent, genuine people, and the rawness of the League. "It's tactically excellent," he said.

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"There are lots of good, young coaches, a lot of good technical players. No game is easy. This League has really impressed me."

Winning it - would surpass everything. "That night I was stabbed, when I was set upon, lads coming at me from behind, wearing balaclavas, it was horrendous," he said

"The random nature of the attack, that still shocks you. Five guys tried to get my watch and that ended in a big brawl where I was stabbed numerous times. It was a tough time. It was tough getting back. I didn't fear for my career. I am more of an optimist than a pessimist.

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"I tried. I failed. My fitness wasn't quite up to scratch. But now I feel that I am getting there. I just have to look at myself in the mirror and see where I am today and be forever grateful."

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He recalls being a 17-year-old kid in the Anfield dressing room, with Steven Gerrard advising him to savour every moment because it doesn't last forever. At the time, those words flew past his ears.

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Now, he reflects on them with a different perspective on life. "I have had a great time playing football, it was always a dream of mine. The entirety of my career, to know that it is the tiny percentage who get to play professional football, I am really grateful for that. To get that chance, to play with great clubs, with managers, it is special.

"It has been a class experience. Yes, the last couple of years since I left Derby County were tough but getting the chance here at Derry, it has been amazing and if we were to win the League, it would be unbelievable. Given what I went through, it would be right up there with anything I ever did."

And considering the ordeal of the knife attack, the solitude of hospital rehab, the termination of his contract at Derby, and the silence of his phone without any further offers, he harbours no disdain for the League of Ireland. Partly, this is due to the events of that night in 2021 when he was stabbed. But it's also a reflection of his character and upbringing.

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Wisdom commented: "I grew up in Leeds, where the number of people watching, sometimes there may have only been 20 people there. You have to remember where you started. I grew up in what I jokingly call the ghetto. To play in any stadium is unbelievable."

He added: "And as soon as football was taken away from me, I missed it. I now cherish every moment.

"There is no better feeling than match night. You cannot replicate the adrenaline, the routine of it. When I left Derby and had to take some time out, the main thing was that I was bored out of my mind."

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Wisdom also reflected on his lack of structure during a break from football: "I was waking up at noon; I was going to bed at 3am. I had no routine."

"So to be given this opportunity again, I am forever grateful. Who am I to be unappreciative of playing in any stadium? This is a great league, this is a great club, the Derry people are great people. I love it here. I'm grateful. And we have a mission, to win a League."

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