VOLCANIC SHOCK

Donervon Daniels has been on an incredible life journey from escaping a Caribbean island eruption to getting stabbed in an East End gang war... but now he's loving life in the Midlands

- DANIEL ORME

DONERVON DANIELS is thankful for many things but nothing comes close to the ultimatum that saved not only his footballing dream but also his life.

The 30-year-old Walsall captain was forced to flee his home country of Montserrat due to a volcanic eruption and moved to the UK with his family at the age of three.

By Daniels' own admission, his development in the heart of East London almost killed him.

"We leave Montserrat and go to East London when I'm really young and for a long period of time we didn't have a settled place," said Daniels.

"East London now is so beautiful, so much more multicultural, built-up. A lot of money was put into the area.

"When I was growing up, it was underprivileged. There wasn't the best schools, the environment wasn't childfriendly and I found myself in a postcode gang.