Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi’s son Aaryamann Sethi who is known for being a Youtuber, once aspired to become a professional footballer. At the age of 14, he moved to England to train at a football academy, where he had the opportunity to play against a young Raheem Sterling. However, two major leg fractures and a prolonged, difficult recovery eventually brought his sporting dreams to an end.Aaryamann opened up about his journey, recalling how he had begun making progress during trials in England before a series of injuries changed everything.He revealed that he was initially offered the possibility of trials at clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea. However, he was advised to explore another route that could give him a better opportunity to showcase his abilities.Aaryamann eventually travelled to England with his mother. His first training session proved to be an eye-opener, as he realised how different the standard of football was compared to what he had experienced until then.“I was just like, oh, this is a different level. The speed and the zip on a pass that you see. It’s like, oh, okay. It’s going to take a second to get used to,” he recalled in an interview on the All for Athletes podcast, ADuring a training drill, Aaryamann found himself up against a young footballer he initially believed he could get past. He soon discovered that the player was Raheem Sterling, who would later go on to represent clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.The encounter made him realise that Sterling possessed extraordinary talent, even among the academy’s promising young players.“This is a once-in-a-generation talent,” he said.Aaryamann’s trial went well enough for him to be offered a place at the academy, provided he continued his education in England. His family supported the opportunity, and he subsequently moved to a boarding school to balance his studies with football training.Leaving home at 14 was not easy for Aaryamann. Away from his family and familiar surroundings, he struggled with loneliness at boarding school. He also recalled facing bullying and racist comments from fellow students, some of whom made stereotypical remarks about India, including taunts about travelling on elephants or donkeys.“People over there were just like, are you a prince? Are you a prince from India?” he recalled, explaining that some people assumed he came from royalty because his family was financially well-off.Despite the difficult environment, Aaryamann gradually adjusted to the training routine. Within three weeks, he felt he was improving as a player and beginning to make an impression.However, just as things appeared to be falling into place, an unexpected injury disrupted his progress. He broke his leg while playing rugby at school, suffering a hairline fracture in his tibia, the shinbone. He returned to India to recover.Once he had healed, Aaryamann was cleared to play for Maharashtra. But his comeback match brought another devastating setback when he fractured the same leg again, this time breaking the bone into three pieces.“I got up, my leg just went jelly and I was on the floor,” he recalled.The second injury left him wondering whether he would ever be able to return to the sport at the level he had aspired to reach.“I think I’m done. I don’t think I can come back from this two fractures back to back,” he recalled thinking at the time.For Aaryamann, the timing of the injuries made the experience particularly painful. He felt he was losing valuable years of physical development that were crucial to his progress as a young athlete.“At a time when everybody grows, that is the time when your body is leaps and bounds improving. If you’re going backwards at that time, you don’t get that time back,” he said.The second fracture occurred in January 2011. Aaryamann underwent surgery and spent a considerable amount of time on crutches before beginning rehabilitation. Despite the challenges, he was determined to give football another shot and eventually returned to England to resume training.However, his recovery did not go as planned. He fell ill, continued to experience pain and sustained another injury during the rehabilitation process. The repeated setbacks began taking a toll on his mental health, making it increasingly difficult for him to perform on the pitch.Although he knew what he needed to do technically, he struggled to make his body respond the way he wanted it to.“I remember crying on the pitch a few times. I was like, my body is not listening. I know what to do, I know how to do, but yet it got to a point mentally I was so affected I couldn’t imagine kicking a ball,” he recalled. Watching his ambition slip away became increasingly overwhelming. Eventually, his contract was not extended, forcing him to confront the reality that his pursuit of a professional football career was over.“The amount of pressure I had that my dream is going,” he said. “That’s when football came to an end,” he added.In February 2026, Aaryamann also spoke about the depression and anxiety he experienced after his injuries brought his football ambitions to a halt. He described how the support of his family helped him navigate that difficult phase of his life.Since then, Aaryamann has explored other creative avenues, including acting, music and digital content creation. He also runs his YouTube channel, Aary Vlogs, where he shares moments from his personal life and glimpses of his family.
