The whistle hadn’t even finished echoing when Sam Adekugbe darted down the wing, boots slicing into the damp turf. He loved this part—the anticipation, the tension, the dance between risk and instinct.

“Overlap! Sam, go!” shouted a teammate.

He was already there.

The roar of the crowd surged as he whipped in a cross, then moments later, he was back at his own box, sliding in to break up a counterattack. Breathless. Fierce. Grinning.

That’s who he was. Not just a full-back. A heartbeat.

One who ran for the team when legs gave out. One who smiled when the world watched. One who always, always came back.