Jonathan Trott has revealed the cost on his mental health of England’s rise to number one Test team in the world, and the danger of sport becoming “life or death” in an athlete’s mind. The former England batsmen opened up for the latest LifeTimes podcast about the extraordinary period, between 2009 and 2013, when the national team soared to the top of the rankings but then fell apart amid acrimony.

Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode, including shows with Paul Pogba, Eddie Jones and Nicola Adams.

This episode is hosted by The Times Chief Sports Writer Matt Dickinson and produced by Lucy Lavery, it is a Times Sport production, to discover more of our award winning journalism visit www.thetimes.co.uk/sport.

With Special thanks to Sky Sports for the use of their memorable commentary.

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At the time Nicola Adams first dreamed of being an Olympic boxing champion, the women’s event did not even have its own national championships, let alone a place in the Games. A year earlier, at the age of 12, she had started boxing against boys, at which point she realised she was made of some “different stuff”.

In the latest episode of the LifeTimes podcast series, she explains how she overcame the odds, prejudice, homophobia and sexism to make the implausible a reality, winning gold at London 2012 before defending the title four years later at Rio de Janeiro.

Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode, including shows with Paul Pogba, Fran Kirby, Eddie Jones and Colin Jackson. This episode is hosted by Matthew Syed and produced by Lucy Lavery, it is a Times Sport production, to discover more of our award winning journalism visit www.thetimes.co.uk/sport

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Colin Jackson, who won a silver medal in the 110m hurdles for Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games, only made public that he is gay in a 2017 interview and says that he understands why a modern-day footballer would not want to come out.

In the latest LifeTimes podcast Jackson, who now works as a sports commentator, speaks to Matthew Syed about his career in athletics and his sexuality and explains why he did not come out while he was an active athlete.

Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode, including the three previous shows with Paul Pogba, Fran Kirby and Eddie Jones.

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Eddie Jones is one of the finest, sharpest and most inventive coaches in rugby union and this year he will lead England to a World Cup.

In this episode of the new in-depth Times Sport podcast, LifeTimes, he describes how he has always been an outsider, why his drive to create conflict once led him to kiss an opponent and how he has had to evolve as a coach and a person.

In an hour with Matt Dickinson he also speaks of his grandparents’ experience in an American internment camp, the mistakes he made with Australia and the books he believes have made him a better coach.

Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode, including the opening show with Paul Pogba and the second episode with England forward Fran Kirby.

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At the age of 14, Fran Kirby had to deal with the sudden and devastating death of her mother. The next day she went back to school, carrying on her life as normal until grief and depression hit her hard, leading her to give up football, the game she loved.

This summer Kirby, now 25, is England’s leading creative force at a World Cup they hope to win and has earned the nickname “Mini Messi”.

In this episode of the new in-depth podcast, LifeTimes, England’s leading women’s footballer tells Matt Dickinson how she overcame a shattering loss to rebuild her life and her career.

Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode, including the opening show with Paul Pogba. 

This episode is hosted by The Times Chief Sports Writer Matt Dickinson and produced by Lucy Lavery, it is a Times Sport production, to discover more of our award winning journalism visit www.thetimes.co.uk/sport

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this new podcast series, LifeTimes, our leading writers have stepped away from the heat of the action to speak in-depth to some of the most famous athletes on the planet - starting in episode one with footballer Paul Pogba.

The France World Cup-winner and £89 million Manchester United midfielder sits down at the Bulgari Hotel in Milan to discuss everything from his on-pitch achievements and the importance of his faith to the criticism he receives over his body language and choice of haircuts. Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode.

This episode is hosted by The Times Chief Sports Writer Matt Dickinson and produced by Lucy Lavery, it is a Times Sport production, to discover more of our award winning journalism visit www.thetimes.co.uk/sport

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.