Ask any footy fan growing up, everyone has a stilled image
of their favorite professional player in their head that touched them in some
way. It is very rare that we get one amazing player that dominates a decade of
footy and treats use with skill that none of us could have ever imagined in our
wildest dreams. In some ways, I think these players are sent from above because
these players are one in a billion so be grateful for the Messi and CR7 battle
because like everything in life it will soon come to an end and we will only be
left with memories.
The one and a billion player during my youth was the OG R9
aka the pioneer of the Mercurial Series which was an essential figure in
creating one of the lightest and fastest boots on the planet. I will definitely say that because of the Mercurial line is the reason that kids collect and have multiple boots in today's game. Its fashion but at the end of the day by making limited releases Nike Football has changed the way people view boots and for many youth its turned into a lifestyle. 
I will never
forget when the first Mercurial Vapor was launched. It was innovative, feather
light and in many ways ahead of it’s time because as a consumer we had never
seen anything like it. Thanks to R9 and his partnership/relationship with Nike
is why we have the current speed boot race today. Never in my wildest dreams
would I have ever thought that a soccer boot could weigh an astonishing 5.6 oz.
Nike has always done an amazing job of listening to its athletes and by asking
the athletes their needs/wants in a product Nike is able to create innovative
and game changing products. A perfect example of this is the relationship
between R9 and Nike because without the help/insight of R9 the athlete the
Mercurial Series would be non-existent.
You might be asking where I fit in this story and how this
relates to me…. Well actually in high school when Ronaldo was recovering from
his second knee surgery and many doubted if he would come back I was able to
meet him and shake his hand. R9 was in town because Nike actually named the
main soccer field on the campus after him and they celebrated this event by
making a statue of the living legend. Furthermore, living in Portland, Oregon
has many perks because the Nike and Adidas headquarters are here and after I
have lived here for awhile I have realized it is a small community. I found out
through a friend that R9 would be at the event so I skipped school that day and
went to the event and stalked R9 after the event as he went into the Lance
Armstrong building for rehab/training because I simple wanted to meet the man
that captured my imagination! For what seemed like a life time standing in the
freezing rain he came out with his posy and without a question he gave me his
trade mark buck toothy smile and shook my hand and signed everything I handed
him. I was no longer cold and in a way I was in shock because I knew this was a
once in a lifetime opportunity because let’s be honest R9 was a pioneer of the
game of football!
The faints, the snake, the countless step over’s by R9 shaped
the world of footy as we know it today and his impact on the game and the soccer
footwear industry!