After the Academy

[Daffydd]

A sobering peep behind the curtain of the beautiful game.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65399672

[Steveo]

Brilliant insight - I have seen this first hand. It is one tough mutha of a life to try and break through. So much pressure. Off the charts, and so much competition. As Merson said...Hardest scholarship of all nowadays.

What I take from this is that the talent doesn't just stop with his right foot... really heart warming to see what a quality human being our Trent is.

[ianlfc]

The clubs are ruthless, they don't care about the kids at all. My nephew was flew all over the world at 16 by Arsenal,Blackburn, Everton, Man Utd and brought to the 2007 champions league final by Liverpool. He was offered a 2 year contract by them all and choose Arsenal as Arsen Wenger told him he was 1 of only 2 youth players they wanted in world !! That was in the April and in the early May he played a friendly match in a warm up for the Milk cup ( a big youth competition in world football) and he broke his leg. Arsenal heard this and retracted the contract and over the summer months never got back to him.
I could tell you alot more about the clubs and don't get me started on so called agents.
Good on Trent, as no doubt he still has friends who have taken a different path after being released.

[Daffydd]

Not like the Beeb to follow up on a story but this is worth a look, grim reality.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65434609

"Gazza said something like 'all the lads in Newcastle play football and when they don't make it they just get drunk'."