G*Nice: In defence of footballers

There is very rarely a week that goes by without a famous footballer being involved in some scandal or controversy.

For most of us who love to play football, it would seem like the best job in the world. Take the pure enjoyment of kicking a ball and the competitiveness of the game, multiply it by the celebrity status that you instantly achieve, what with thousands of fans cheering you on every time you walk on to the pitch and finally add massive earning potential as the gravy on top. What could possibly be better than that?

But it seems that many of the professionals in the game spiral out of control and into the media with their troubles. It would be so easy to label all footballers as spoilt brats who just don't realise their good fortune, but when you get to think about the quite surreal nature of their existence, it raises some interesting questions for us to find answers for.

As I understand it, David Beckham first came to the attention of Manchester United when he was 11 years old. The chances of someone being spotted that young and to eventually make it into the big league are quite extraordinary as so much happens between 11 and 18.

I don't know the exact percentage, but I would guess that under 10 per cent of boys who enter the football academy system around the age of 10 have the skill set to have a career in football. The small percentage that make the grade are then thrust into the world of clubs, agents, media and money that even fewer are equipped for.

In England, I believe football mostly attracts low- and middle-class kids. Most parents would probably guide their kids away from the dream of playing professional football as a career because it means so much sacrifice at a time when boys need to concentrate on academic learning. But if you are poor, then it can seem like the golden ticket out. I just wonder how I would've reacted had I been a young player and somehow earned a place at a big team where I might be earning thousands of pounds per month before the age of 19. I believe I would've been a nightmare!

Often I hear my dad's voice ringing in my ears, "why do they want millions of pounds just to kick a ball?" I think the truth of it is that most players are just small cogs in a multi million-dollar business where career expectancy is unpredictable and the reason why they are so rewarded is that very few of us are able to do what they do. As well as the physical attributes one needs and the dedication to training to perfect the game, it seems to me that toughest part is to have the strength of personality to hold it all together.

Final-Whistle-ingly Yours
 G*Nice