Joe Aribo returned to the artificial pitch in Mitcham where he grew up and credited those hours of cage football with shaping his playing style. He developed first touch, close control and dribbling while learning to face opponents and get past them in tight spaces. The chaotic, positionless nature of cage play forced awareness and adaptability. The physicality of those sessions taught resilience; he now gets up quickly when knocked down. Aribo was born in Camberwell, moved to south London suburbs at six, and recalls playing with his brother Paul in Lavender Park.
In the summer, I'd be here from the morning until night time. I'd probably have a one-hour break where I'd go to the shop, get some drinks with my friends, and then straight back to it. It's just one of the best times of my life. First touch, close control, dribbling. My game is dribbling, trying to face up my opponent and get past him. And I've learned that all here.
Cage football is different to football on a normal pitch because there's just not a lot of room to manoeuvre. In the cages it's not really tactical. No one sticks to a position, it's everyone running everywhere, and you've just got to build awareness and understand how frantic it can be. Physically it was rough. That's why, as a professional now, if I go down I don't stay down. Because I grew up in a place where, if I got kicked down, I have to get back up.
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