As England kickstart their World Cup campaign, spare a thought for the young players thrown on the scrapheap by 18 As England's footballers get their World Cup campaign under way against the United States in South Africa tonight, another generation of youngsters will start to dream. The greatest sporting event on the planet leaves an indelible mark on impressionable minds, as several England players have reminded us in recent weeks with their vivid memories of the World Cup moments that inspired them.From Rio Ferdinand trying to dribble around the green in Leyton Square like Diego Maradona after the Argentinian's wonder goal against England in 1986, to Steven Gerrard being almost as upset as his tearful hero Paul Gascoigne at Italia 90, and Wayne Rooney running through the streets of Croxteth pretending to be Michael Owen after the teenager scored against Argentina in the 1998 finals in France, the images are enduring.
Their stories are uplifting because they provide evidence of how young children can fulfil their dreams, yet they also paint a rose-tinted picture of a fiercely competitive industry where the vast majority of young footballers who join professional clubs end up looking for another career. While that has long been the case, the changing face of English football in recent years – including the influx of foreign players and demands for instant success – has made it even harder to break through.
For those still hellbent on trying, the serious business starts at the age of 16, when clubs offer scholarships, or apprenticeships as they used to be known, to their most promising young players. Although aspects of the two-year training programme have changed significantly – the days of sweeping the stands and cleaning the boots are long gone at many clubs – the goal remains the same: a professional contract.
Yet the statistics are damning. The Premier League and Football League say between 60% and 65% of the 700 or so scholars taken on each year are rejected at 18. Even half of those who do win a full-time contract will not be playing at a professional level by 21, reckons the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). Put another way, five out of every six of the scholars starting next month will not be playing football for a living in five years. "If it was a university of football, with our success rates we would have been closed down by now because it's just not good enough," says Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the PFA.
READ MORE
