Farewell Ken Sema

As Ken Sema says goodbye to English football, we look at the interview he did with us here at STAMMA, after going viral in 2023.

In the last few days, Watford FC announced that the midfielder Ken Sema will be leaving the club after six-and-a-half years. In that time, 'King Ken', as the Swedish international was affectionately known by the Watford fans, made 176 appearances for the EFL Championship side and scored 12 goals. He was instrumental in helping the Hornets gain promotion to the Premier League in 2021, and will leave the UK for Cyprus-based Pafos FC.

Ken found himself in the news in 2023 after openly stammering during a post-match interview following his side's win over West Brom, in which he scored twice. The footballing world reacted positively, with many on social media calling him 'brave' and 'a role model' for agreeing to speak to the press.

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We caught up with Ken at Vicarage Road after the news broke, and he sat down with Rob Coe from the Cambridge Stammering Group to chat about his experiences. Watch it above, as he talks about growing up with a stammer and what he'd say to his 13-year-old self.

From everyone here at STAMMA, thank you Ken for raising stammering awareness and inspiring football fans who stammer here in the UK. Best of luck with your new club.

Related:

Ken's interview inspired the following articles:

• Blog: A little less 'suffering'
• Is the media finally overcoming their need to 'fix' us?