Derby County shot-stopper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has revealed that he received key career advice to continue in football, when he was considering whether or not to progress with his studies.
The Swedish goalkeeper joined the Rams from Djurgarden last summer and has been an integral part of Derby’s side.
He has started 40 Championship games for the Rams, keeping nine clean sheets in the process, clocking an impressive 3,600 minutes in his first season in England.
Zetterstrom’s life could have been very different, though, as he revealed that he studied a medical program for six months following two head injuries.
However, when he had to choose, the 26-year-old revealed that his coach, Nikos Gkoulios and his mother advised him that he should give football another chance.
“I have always taken school very seriously, and I knew that there was another path to take than football”, the Derby County star told Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen.
“I started at Karolinska in the medical program and managed to study for six months; after those six months, I had a pretty big decision to make: whether to continue with the medical program or whether to give football another chance.
| Club | Seasons |
|---|---|
| IFK Lidingo | 2015-2018 |
| Djurgarden | 2019-2024 |
| IFK Lidingo (loan) | 2019 |
| Derby County | 2024- |
“People around me – who I would probably say know me better than I do myself – my mother, the goalkeeping coach Nikos Gkoulios, my siblings and Bosse Andersson all thought that I should give football another chance.
“Since then, I haven’t really looked back and thought about the decision I made.”
Derby are currently looking to ensure their stay in the Championship and a positive result on the last day of the season against Stoke City will see them stay up.
Zetterstrom has impressed in his opening season in England and will look to finish the season strongly with an assured performance at Pride Park against the Potters.
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