TWENTY-THREE-year-old Grant McKay is the first to admit that he used to be a "bad person".

His young life was ruled by drugs and violence, he broke up with his family and ended up in prison.

But now his life has been changed around - by sport.

Grant - known as Taz to his friends - plays for a team called Freetime in the Premier Fives Sunday Evening League and he hopes to go for trials with Breightmet United soon.

"Football has given me a purpose, I'm actually in a team and I know they need me as much as I need them," said Grant, from Skagen Court, Bolton.

Spiral

The downward spiral of his life started at an early age, while growing up in Glasgow. School had no appeal, and after the first year Grant simply didn't go in anymore. The lure of drugs was much stronger, so he tried Temazepam and Valium and started drinking. Within a few years, he was using ecstasy, cannabis and amphetamine.

"They told me if I didn't slow down taking the drugs, I would burst my heart."

Manchester was the first place he went to after leaving Scotland but he didn't like what he saw, which was yet more drugs. So he picked up a map, stuck in a needle at random, and headed for the town where it had landed - Bolton.

Then, he had an "accident".

He was "in the wrong place at the wrong time", and ended up plunging 40 feet out of a window, breaking both his ankles so badly it was thought he'd never play any kind of sport again.

But Grant forced himself to walk and went from strength to strength. There was still another problem, however. His anger.

By his own admission, he would "lose his rag" when on drugs and start fighting and one day, things went disastrously wrong.

"I'm very small, but I've got a short temper," Grant explained. "I attacked a guy with a sword - I used to collect them when I did martial arts."

The injury he caused the other man was horrific and, as a result, Grant served three years and nine months in prison.

There were plenty of drugs "inside", but Grant said he decided not to touch any, and instead do something "constructive" with his time.

And he certainly did that.

Although prison was a "lonely" experience and hard-going, he managed to notch up 18 qualifications, including four GNVQs and certificates in business studies and computer literacy. Most importantly, he went on an anger management course, took a few modules of a psychology course to gain an insight into his behaviour and completed FA refereeing and coaching courses.

And he became captain of the prison football team.

"I didn't want to let it get to me and kept myself occupied," Grant shrugged.

When his prison term finished at the end of June, he initially daren't go back to Bolton, fearing he "couldn't show his face around town because of all the trouble he caused".

But one of his close friends persuaded him to stay at his home in the town.

He found a girlfriend, Louise, and the couple have since moved in together.

"I'm really grateful to Dave Lambert, from Sports Development, Louise, and my friends Kristian, Lee, Andy and Big T," said Grant.

"Without them, I don't know where I would be right now." Welcome

Grant has taken to decorating his house and loves playing football with his friends from the Freetime team. They made him feel welcome straight away and Grant's thoughts now turn toward doing voluntary work in the future.

"The football team has done me a lot of good. It keeps your brain ticking over.

"I'm the smallest guy in the team, but when I first joined they said: 'You are better than half of the players we've had'.

"I'm not interested in drugs anymore and I don't even drink. Drugs once made me feel happy, but I'm happier now I'm free of the drugs.

"And it's all down to myself and Freetime."

The success of his football team - they recently won 33-8 - is something he is very proud of.

"My life has changed around properly," said Grant.

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