Crystal Palace Manager Rose From Village of 2,000 to Europe

The Crystal Palace manager who won the club's first major trophy last season started his journey kicking balls in an Austrian village of just 2,000 people.

Oliver Glasner, 51, grew up in Riedau with his single mother, who worked hard to give him everything he needed even when money was tight. He remembers eagerly waiting for the Easter Bunny each year because that's when he'd get his one pair of soccer boots.

"We couldn't buy three pairs of boots a year," Glasner told BBC Sport's Kelly Somers. "I think that keeps me grounded, that keeps me humble."

The young Glasner played for his village team SV Riedau before getting noticed at 18 by a bigger club. He balanced semi-professional soccer with studies near Salzburg until his team earned promotion in 1995. That's when he made the leap to focus 100% on playing.

His career nearly ended tragically at age 37 when he suffered a brain hemorrhage during a game. Doctors gave him 50-50 odds of survival. Emergency surgery saved his life, though he woke up confused in the hospital the next day with his head bandaged.

The near-death experience reinforced rather than changed his outlook. "It was much tougher for my wife and children," he said, noting his wife had to approve emergency surgery over the phone while he was unconscious.

Why This Inspires

Glasner still lives in his childhood village 25 years after building his house there. His best friends are the same people he grew up with, and they play tennis and golf together whenever he's home from managing one of England's Premier League clubs.

He carries those humble beginnings into his coaching philosophy. "I'm always telling my players we should never forget that we're all living our childhood dream," he said.

The boy who was only allowed to watch Champions League games past his bedtime on special occasions now leads teams competing in European tournaments. Last season, he guided Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory and their first taste of European competition.

Though Glasner announced he'll leave Palace at the end of this season, his journey from village fields to international soccer stages shows how far gratitude and hard work can take you.

His mother gave him everything he needed, even when it wasn't everything he might have wanted, and that foundation built a manager who remembers what truly matters.