Why Blackpool's Marvin Ekpiteta feels he still has to prove himself despite impressive rise through the leagues
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The Blackpool defender, who recently signed a new deal at Bloomfield Road, was playing his football in non-league as recently as three years ago.
After playing for the likes of Chelmsford City, Concord Rangers and East Thurrock United, the 26-year-old finally got his break in the Football League when he helped Leyton Orient win promotion from the top tier of non-league.
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Hide AdSince signing for the Seasiders in July 2020, the centre-back has stepped up the leagues once again in both League One and the Championship.
While Ekpiteta always felt he was equipped to play at a high level, he knew he still had to put in the hard yards.
“I always knew I was good enough and I always knew I could make the step-up, but even now I feel I have to prove it. I have to show it,” he told the club’s YouTube channel.
“There’s no point me saying I’m good enough, I have to show I am.
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Hide Ad“Whatever level I’m at, I just focus on getting used to it and then I can see the next level after that.”
Ekpiteta added: “I think I’ve played in five different leagues in five seasons now, so it’s been a slow, steady pace.
“I was playing part-time for about three-and-a-half years and I did about 20 different jobs.
“I just did anything I could really because I just wanted to play football full-time, but I obviously had to work to make enough to live basically.
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Hide Ad“I did some different jobs. I was a teaching assistant, a delivery driver, worked in retail, restaurants, everything really!
“Being a teaching assistant was probably the favourite job I had though, that gave me the most joy. It was the most rewarding.”
When asked what has been the biggest step-up in the last five years, Ekpiteta said: “This season, League One to Championship.
“Teams are a lot more clinical and there’s some massive clubs in this division, so it’s been the biggest jump for me. At the start of the season I was like ‘woah, this is proper now’.”