There was a time when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had a football back story. A difficult move to a foreign country away from his family was one of the things the Spurs and Danes player had to endure.
Christian moved to Germany to be with his son while he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
The young footballer became a person who cared for others.
Hojbjerg talked about his dad's death and the "scars" he still bears in the interview.
He says he had to take care of his father after his father took care of him. I was making sure that he got his medication and that I was cooking for him. There are things that scar you a little.
He passed away in April. I got my national team debut after finishing the season. The season ended on a high, but on a low.
I had a hard time motivating myself. I have never spoken about it like this before.
A scout for a German club saw Hojbjerg's potential when he played in a local derby.
He moved his entire life to Germany in six months.
My parents were at the airport. He says he could easily have cried when he waved at them on the escalators.
I remained strong because I was looking forward to the opportunity. I'm very thankful that I did it because I learned a lot about myself and the world of football. It was hard for my mom.
My father thought it was a nice challenge but he told me that I had to stay in school. Let's not go there!
I sacrificed a lot when I was a teenager, going out of the country and leaving my friends behind.
Before his dad died, Hojbjerg spent a year in Munich.
The teenager was given his first-team debut by Heynckes. He was the club's youngest player at that time.
Hojbjerg remembers getting injured in August of last year.
I thought my life was over and I couldn't play for a while.
It was difficult for my father to speak after he called me. He was very quiet and didn't say a word but when I asked what was wrong he said he had cancer.
I was very sad. I was angry because I was so far away from my family.
They tried to prolong his life instead of saving it.
"Bayern helped me a lot and I spoke to them and they said "OK come to Munich" and we will find a solution." My father was treated for his cancer in Munich over a number of days.
Hojbjerg says that the best time he had with his father was when he was 17 years old.
I was able to show him that I knew how to take care of myself and I was able to take care of him.
"We had some great talks, we had some difficult talks, some that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and some that hurt me a bit because I would love for him to be here today."
I paid for that later on in my life because I held so much back and I never had a sad face in front of him.
After his father's death in April of 2014, Hojbjerg made his first start for the club five days later, then spent six months on loan at Augsburg and a year at Schalke before moving to Saints in July of 2016 for a fee of over 13 million dollars.
After four years on the south coast, he moved to London and has continued to make his mark on the premier league as a commanding presence in their middle of the park.
After his father died, Hojbjerg had trouble. Until I had my daughter, I didn't find the purpose. When I had my daughter, I told my mom that life gave me something back. My kids are the most important thing in my life. Everything will be done for them by me.
My father is with me a lot, and he gives me inspiration like my family does, so they are with me."
You will get back what you give to the people around you, no matter what sport you play.
I wouldn't be the person I am without the three years I had there. The school is called the school of champions.
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