Speaking for the first time in public about his own dyslexia, at The Ripple Effect Conference in London, Virgo, who played for Brighton and Celtic before taking up the microphone at Sky Sports, urged employers “to give dyslexics an opportunity in your workforce”.

“I can’t even spell dyslexic,” Virgo admitted, as he explained how despite never having attended a job interview in his life, and facing many obstacles and difficulties, he had forged a successful career in two competitive industries. “A dyslexic person has to find a way around things,” he said. “I have had to work even harder,” attributing success in his own career to his desire “to prove people wrong” and his strong mind-set. 

Virgo said that while dyslexic people “may not be able to offer X” they made up for it in other ways, such as in his own case “working harder than anyone else”. 

Speaking to Recruiter after his presentation at the conference, hosted by thought leadership consultancy EP Business in Hospitality, Virgo said that the importance that employers put on exam results puts dyslexic people at a disadvantage in the jobs market. Instead of focusing on a person’s academic achievements, he suggested that work trials were one way to provide dyslexic people with a level playing field. He said even if it was just for a week, work trials allowed employers “to see what people can and offer so much more than a CV”.

Research indicates that around 10% of the UK population are dyslexic, with studies showing that those with this condition are up to five times more likely to be unemployed.

• Comment below on this story. You can also tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend. Our editorial email is [email protected]