Could you have been a professional footballer ?

[TheSamulator]

I'm not sure if i'd have been able to cope with the psychological side of it with regards to the abuse you recieve and criticism on places like here but i think after i'd seen it all the first time i'd resolve to just avoid it and ignore it as best i could so perhaps i could have coped. I was never much good at football though, i was a gobby twat though knew the game quite well.

I think if i could go back now i'd have been able to make it, mainly because now i understand how much work needs to be put in to really make it. I'd concentrate on my weaker foot to begin with i think because i genuinely believe being two footed is something which would give a kid an advantage, especially in this country.

 

[Claymore]

I don't buy the talent stuff. If you put in the right practice from a young age, you can make it happen.

Same here. Trouble is those who start from a young age don't all practice the same things, hence why some are better at passing, skills, some shooting etc. The right mentality/dedication coupled with training hours should equal a good player but you're always going to get types like Morrison who blow it.

 

[I'm always right]

Same here. Trouble is those who start from a young age don't all practice the same things, hence why some are better at passing, skills, some shooting etc. The right mentality/dedication coupled with training hours should equal a good player but you're always going to get types like Morrison who blow it.

And some can train as much as they like and never be a good footballer.

 

[TheHorse'sMouth]

I probably could have. I'm one half of the brain behind the finest university football club in London while regularly kicking the likes of LSE, KCL and UCL's arse repeatedly in central midfield. Played a shitload of Sunday league when I was younger, stopped playing during my A-level years and then started playing again at university. What could have been eh..

 

[Sonny Feehan]

These discussions always remind me of Kevin Keegan who was rejected by 7 clubs before Liverpool signed him from non-league. I never got past my first rejection( Altrincham). bit like my love life really

 

[peterstorey]

I was offered a trial by a Third Division club and could have played leftback at that level IMO. I wanted to play inside-left for Arsenal like my hero George Eastham but I knew I wasn't good enough.

 

[gza the genius]

I'm basically a shitter version of Michael Carrick. My confidence was somewhat fragile, I think if I had the skill I could've came up through the ranks and worked my way up but I have no idea how all these 17-23 etc.. year old kids manage to handle the pressure. I can't even imagine being an 18 year old and playing at Old Trafford, skill or not.

 

[krazyrobus]

Mentally, yes, I don't see crowd abuse affecting me.
Talent, no, not fast enough. Laurent Blanc level speeds.

 

[Raven Blade]

Decent speed, poor stamina. Bottom level performances are just too low. When my confidence is down, the passing and finishing is so inconsistent. But I do put in a fair amount of workrate. I like to influence the attack and defend stubbornly, but I guess my versatility makes me a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Basically i'm a bit shite.

 

[Isotope]

I couldn't stand losing a footy game. So, if later on I play for a bottom league team that lose 70% of their game, I might feel depressed and quit the game early.

 

[The Neviller]

Yeah, if I'd have been spotted.

I was a goalscoring machine at lunchtime kick arounds.

 

[I'm always right]

I was offered a trial by a Third Division club and could have played leftback at that level IMO. I wanted to play inside-left for Arsenal like my hero George Eastham but I knew I wasn't good enough.

Similar story, always played as centre mid or in the hole. When I was at Stockport County they tried getting me playing right back, wasn't having any of it, just don't enjoy it, hence no contract. Anyway, 11 years later, aged 28 I move to Sweden, start playing division 2 and after a few games the right back gets injured. So you know what happens, I play there and well and then they try to keep me there. Your old boy Limpar was the assistant gaffer there and tried convincing me by saying "play there and by next season you'll be playing superetten" (2nd pro league). So... I refused

Shit mentality me. Wouldn't go back and change it for the World though, I travelled from aged 22 to 28, something I never would've done as a footballer and for me, there was never a better time in my life.

 

[peterstorey]

Shit mentality me.

Doesn't sound like a shite mentality to me. Sounds like a large dose of realism. If I'd have been good enough technically, mentality or desire were never an issue.

 

[Wibble]

I was promising at age 12 at right back (when 2-3-5 was still common) and nearly as good when playing as a striker, the later due to decent reactions and speed for a tall kid. I got a scholarship to a Catholic Grammer school and since they didn't play football I played less and less and so never went anywhere with it. I suspect I'd have had a shout at playing at a decent level but I very much doubt I'd have made he top flight but impossible to tell since I'd just about stopped playing by the age of 14.

 

[ghaliboy]

Almost played professional cricket (State) for New South Wales.

Closest I'll ever come to playing professional sports. Clouting spastics in park cricket on a Saturday arvo is good enough for me.

 

[Snow]

I just loathe exercise on it's own. I hate the gym. I've got no problem with exercise if it's in any form of sport really. Because of that I was always injured. Never rehabilitated myself and thus had a tough time getting back into shape after injuries or easily got injured again.

I played against Gylfi less than 10 years ago and he wasn't much better than me. He was better, don't get me wrong, but he wasn't the best one in his team at the time or better than the best player on my team. However he's got a similar work ethic to Becks and just kept at it. Trained and trained.

The mental game is a huge aspect to becoming a professional footballer and it's difficult to hypothesise myself with a different personality really.

 

[Flying Fox]

The more important question is...could you hack on a cold night at Stoke?

 

[MaroonPondlife]

Don't know. Always been good at every sport I played ... good speed, agility and very decent stamina. Didn't know what football was until I was 10. No football at the school I went to so never played until I left at eighteen.

Would like to think that had I started young (4-5yrs) coached, barring injury, I'd have had a decent shot at least being an okay junior level player.

In my mid to late twenties, after a lifestyle change, and when at my fittest, something clicked and I found the confidence to play the right ball most of the time, to beat players with feints and balance, its suddenly became so much easier. Only lasted about six months as I enjoyed the weekend lash too much.

The step up beyond, requires a concentration level that I doubt however I would ever have been able to attain if the rest of my life is anything to go by.

Love the sport, and loved playing at every opportunity.

 

[Galactic]

For me, I hate being the centre of attention. Looking from down here, though, it's quiet cozy up there.

 

[AttackingFlair]

My major problem is stamina. I'm fast but after a run I'll be gasping for breath.

 

[SharkyMcShark]

ha ha ha ha ha

No.

 

[sammsky1]

I played with Quinton Fortune when I was 18 and he was 14. He was in our Under 18 1st team and we were a very good school team. Quinton was our top scorer that year getting 25 goals out of a total of 37.

Even with that age difference and at a relatively good level, he was at least 3 times better than our best 18 year old (a guy who made it to West Ham youth!). I can still vividly remember how foolish he made us look in training and also the opposition in matches.

Makes me wonder just how good Giggs, Scholes, Rooney, Rio and other wunderkids are at that age, because even Quinton was simply a different class aged 14 playing with 18 year olds.

In answer to the OP, no, never stood a chance of becoming a professional footballer!

 

[coolredwine]

I would have tried. That's all I will say.

 

[Moultz]

i dunno with the talent your mental strength would be higher you know? like faith in your own ability = confidence.

Pennies on the other hand.. different kettle of fish

 

[kouroux]

I don't think I would have copped from a psychological POV at the highest level.I'm a very relaxed and stress free person, when something challenges me in life I so easily lose my temper and I get frustrated, angry.
I have a bad control of my emotions and in a ruthless world like football you have to control yourself.I love football for the pleasure it gives me and the ultimate pleasure is playing it in a friendly and stress free environment for me, it wouldn't really work in the pro world this mindset of mine

 

[barros]

I almost made it to Sporting but on my 2nd try out game (I was a central defender) I was too nervous and I had a mix of Pepe and Bruno Alves and I started a fight during the game against a damm gypsy (not Quaresma) which wasn't funny to watch because I kicked him and he was having a Suarez act which prompt me to kick him on his neck when I got the red card, he went to the hospital and I went home..... end of my football career

 

[ItsEssexRob]

I could have been a professional footballer at the highest level, there was one thing that always got in my way though.

I was not very good at football

 

[Zarlak]

I almost made it to Sporting but on my 2nd try out game (I was a central defender) I was too nervous and I had a mix of Pepe and Bruno Alves and I started a fight during the game against a damm gypsy (not Quaresma) which wasn't funny to watch because I kicked him and he was having a Suarez act which prompt me to kick him on his neck when I got the red card, he went to the hospital and I went home..... end of my football career

You seem almost surprised.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

My biggest regret is not starting football earlier - and by that I mean joining a football team earlier. Top goal-scorer for my old primary school (still am I believe), and I was told by Dave Jones (former Cardiff City manager guy) that my finishing was unbelievably good for my age. Just played for the school and during school breaks for a while, and I only joined my local team when I was 12. Not sure what age everyone else seemed to join a team, but for my area it was pretty late. Still, I played well yadi-ya-ya. Switched round between being a centre midfielder and a forward.

Had a try out for Cardiff City at 16/17, and it around the time when I actually planned to focus on doing medicine. It was basically a straight up choice between the two, and I just thought that going for medicine was the safer approach in the long-term. I wish I had taken the plunge, or at least do something like what Jamie Roberts (Welsh rugby player for those who don't know) - juggling around medicine with sport.

I was sure I was good enough to at least reach a certain standard - which makes my regret even worse. If tomorrow the York City manager, or Cheltenham manager came knocking on my door now offering me a shitty contract - I wouldn't be surprised if I took it.

I'm thrilled to be where I am today - but I just wonder... what if?

 

[ukbob]

I turned down being a professional player as #1. The money was not that good and #2 you only got paid during the season. I trialled for Brighton three times, played against some of the first teamers, got abused by them, gave it back to them, called them all a bunch of wankers then left!

 

[Ruud10]

No.

The talent level required of even mediocre footballers even in the MLS or Championship is insane. Even with proper coaching and personal dedication, I would have come nowhere close.

Good enough, in my youth, to dream about professional soccer, but nowhere near good enough in reality to live it.

 

[SilentWitness]

Nope, i made a bad choice when i was younger between football and swimming. I was asked to go to swimming trials and such because i was excellent at backstroke but i decided to choose football over joining swimming teams.

Onto the football side, i think i could have been good enough for a oart-time team if i was played in my favoured LW position. I was naturally right footed but was one of those that was decent at cutting in from the wing and getting a shot off. Was handy with my left too as i practiced it so i was good with both. This caused a problem with my coaches as they decided i was a player to play anywhere they needed me and decided to pick their sons for every game, even though they weren't up to standard. I was given the position of whoever didn't turn up. Got starts every week, but it was a different position every week.
School football was the only place i was given my favoured position and i did well there. Got into trials but unfortunately didn't make the cut for the Scottish youth development squad or whatever it was called.

I quit when i was around 16 too as i wasn't getting played where i wanted to which was annoying as a player from our side who is at Dundee United now thought i was one of the best players on the team.

I had another problem in that i'm one of those dickheads that acts tough but couldn't batter a fish supper.

 

[dhstriker]

What is talent? What seperated Messi and Bramble when they were infants?

First touch...among other things.

 

[Mad Winger]

If I had been serious about it, I think I could have made the second highest division in Norway(which is amazingly crap btw, but still high enough to be called a "pro") eventually. I've tried playing with people in the fifth and fourth highest division, and even without training for years I had no problems keeping up with them. A friend of mine played in the third highest divison a couple of years ago, and I'm much better than him.

At my best I was only "good" or "slightly above average". I had an amazing right foot, decent speed, and very good ball-control, but I was also incredibly inconsistent and a pretty crap teamplayer. You might think that it could work out if you're good enough at everything else, but the truth is that I wasn't much of an individualist either

So yeah, I could basically pull off an amazing move one second, and feck up a 5 yard pass the next. Inconsistency, weakness, and lack of motivation and confidence, that is eventually what made me "give up". It's not like I would have become a famous footballer anyways, but I might have made it to the lowest pro level at the very least.

 

[golden_blunder]

There are a couple of ex-top flight footballers posting here, but i wont name names as they want to remain anonymous

 

[Gio]

Had a try out for Cardiff City at 16/17, and it around the time when I actually planned to focus on doing medicine. It was basically a straight up choice between the two, and I just thought that going for medicine was the safer approach in the long-term. I wish I had taken the plunge, or at least do something like what Jamie Roberts (Welsh rugby player for those who don't know) - juggling around medicine with sport.

It's something that can be forgotten. The vast majority of players who get full-time contracts at 16 are spat out at 19 and do well to make it semi-pro thereafter. I know a lot of the ex-full-time lads many of whom are a bit regretful they didn't focus on their education at that age and get the longer-term career benefits that others have reaped.

The other factor is that your average pro is on a normal wage but short-term contracts and a short career don't lend themselves to stability, mortgages and what not.

The talent level required of even mediocre footballers even in the MLS or Championship is insane. Even with proper coaching and personal dedication, I would have come nowhere close..

Agree with this, there's a lot of levels below the Premiership that most simply don't have the ability for.

 

[Walrus]

A guy I play 5-a-side with is semi pro currently, hes about 28 now but about 5 years ago he had a chance to make it at Championship level (got an offer from a Championship club) but decided to stick with his local team for some reason (which he now regrets). The lad is immensely good though.

Personally, I do wonder what might have been but as with others, I am very shy. I was too shy to even tryout for my School team (even though a few of the better players on the team were encouraging me to do so as they said I was good enough). Never ended up playing enough back then to stand a chance, its only in the last 18 months that ive even taken up 5-a-side and the likes.

I think had I managed to get noticed somehow at a young age I may have ended up doing alright. Im pretty tough mentally and dont tend to let pressure get to me that much (I get really nervous, but it doesnt generally affect me once whatever it is im nervous about has actually started).

I do think that in order to make it, even at the top level, work ethic, fitness and practice are more important than raw talent. You obviously need a certain level of talent in order to get anywhere, and if you are going to be the next Messi you need a hell of a lot of it. But for your average joe playing for a mid table premiership team I think its more about the work ethic, basic technique and the likes