Kindness is Heroic.

I was an awkward teenager, perhaps maladjusted in some respects, trying to make sense of a challenging home environment and the usual growing pains that young people have to go through.

My enjoyment of football (particularly Leeds United) helped me through those awkward teenage years.

One summer my sister treated me to a season ticket at Leeds, who started the season with a new goalkeeper, Nigel Martyn. Martyn was signed from Crystal Palace for what was then a record transfer fee for a goalkeeper of £2.25 million. It turned out to be a difficult, transitional season for Leeds and Martyn played a crucial role in stabilising the club with some outstanding performances.

The chant, “England’s number one! England’s, England’s number one!” roared around the stadium each time he made a save. And he regularly made many excellent saves. His performances were often heroic on a weekly basis. I’ve no doubt that Leeds could have been relegated from the Premier League that season without him.

Martyn went on to play in two European semi-finals with Leeds (including the Champions League), was named in Leeds’ greatest ever XI and travelled to four major tournaments with England. David Moyes who signed him for Everton from Leeds described him as his “best ever signing”.

But his biggest impact on my life came off the pitch, as I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times during his first season at Leeds. His warmth and kindness towards me made me stand a little taller and feel like I was a little less weird. Those meetings, though brief, made a big impact and left a lasting impression on me. To me, they are an integral part of his legacy.

Your kindness can be heroic, too

When it comes to a person’s legacy, status and accolades are overrated, while presence and care are underrated. Presence and care can change lives through transforming hearts and minds. Changed lives change the world – one-by-one. That shouldn’t be dismissed as a platitude – it’s a simple fact. Large groups don’t exist as a homogenous mass – they’re comprised of individuals who can each have a unique and significant impact through their respective contributions.

To some the world may feel like a cold, loveless place. It doesn’t have to. With presence and care, our small contributions to others can be heroic. That opportunity isn’t reserved for sports stars, rock stars or celebrities. We each have valuable contributions to make.

So, who might benefit from your presence and care?