Professional footballer 29-year-old Christopher Nurse was born in London, England to Guyanese Gilbert Arthur Nurse and Jamaican Patricia Nurse. He grew up with his siblings Collette, Natalie, Jonathan, and Shion in London.
Chris Nurse had a strict religious upbringing since his mother was a devout Seventh-day Adventist. Up until the age of 16, playing football on a Saturday was out of the question.
His mother was a midwife and his father was an electrician, so he had a very humble upbringing. His parents divorced when he was eight years old and he lived with his mother to whom he was very close. Twelve years later, his mother died of breast cancer, and this was probably the turning point in his life.
After his mother’s death, Nurse started to get into a lot of trouble but remembering his mother who always told people that he would become a professional football player, he felt that he owed it to her to make that dream a reality.
“As a kid, I was very troublesome; however, I had natural intelligence and achieved good grades, and completed college and university and I have a degree in sports therapy.
Whilst at university, I played football to subsidise my costs and expenses,” Nurse said in a recent online interview.
In 2011, Nurse was given the captaincy of the national team. He led the Golden Jaguars in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. At that time the national coach, Jamal Shabazz thought he had the qualities and experience to lead the team forward and he was grateful for the opportunity.
“I think my teammates respect that I have tried to make a difference… we worked well together as a team, it hasn’t always been easy, but I am thoroughly enjoying my time as captain,” a humble Nurse added.
He gave thanks to God for blessing him with his talents and hopefully he can continue to motivate and inspire others to achieve their dreams and be successful in life. He said, “I’d like to play a big part of helping to continue to develop and elevate football in Guyana, both during my playing career and after my playing days are over.” He said there are many talented players in Guyana and suggested that with proper training facilities, they will shine and the game will progress rapidly.
On a lighter note, Nurse’s favourite colour is blue. He loves stewed chicken with rice and peas; as well as macaroni and cheese. He is also fond of tangerines, pineapples, and bananas.
Besides movies, he likes to read books, particularly autobiographies of people who have created history or great sporting legends. The talented footballer is a fan of Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry. He is an outdoor person who enjoys nature.
He is an eligible bachelor and hopes to settle down soon after he would have found the right person but he is in no hurry. He sees a loving wife and four children in his future. “To be precise, two boys and two girls,” he said with a grin.