talent? It’s really a win, win for both sides. My point is, do not overdo going on trials, listen to your body and only go for a new chance when the winds are breezing in your direction, otherwise you will end up making dead investments for yourself.

Days and years after chasing trials and opportunities for my player self, I never made it to an actual pro team. However my self discipline had paid off and I cycled through couple of the top amateur clubs in my region and to date I play in one of these clubs alongside some ex-pros who are exceptionally talented. Precisely, this was also the era I was evolving into the more mature version of my football player self. My relentless drive to not miss out on the next ‘opportunity’ had somehow created something special. I had probably done over 30 trials in different locations and countries over the span of 4 years. I had met so many different types of people, whether it be coaches, football coaches, football players or agents, these experiences were starting to somehow add up. It was giving me a clearer image of the reality of the football world. The reality is bitter as you might have guessed, but also a very unexpected one, at least from the eyes of a young player. I have come to see, no matter how far you were able to climb the ladder in the world of football, whether it be making through a professional academy system all the way to the U21 of a pro team or actually signing your first pro contract, it could all simply mean nothing and I absolutely mean that. You could still end up being a McDonald’s cashier couple years later. I have seen countless players who sign a pro contract, and never get an extension couple years later. Most of them are left with a story they can proudly and deservedly explain to their friends and family, but sadly won’t have the chance to remain in the industry. It was precisely today, that I realized this. I thought to myself, I have seen so many ex-pro players, as well as pro academy dropouts struggling to find themselves a reliable position in the world of pro-football. My 20 year old self, had they seen one of those players, would have thought that they have comfortably made it, and probably envied them a little for at least achieving the ‘pro’ label. But sadly, the number of pro or academy dropout players I have seen who are currently simply pushed out of the pro scene, exponentially exceeds the amount of players who live the actual ‘mainstream’ view of football. That is, the few 1% who purchase a new sports car every 3 months. My 20 year old self thought, making it pro was a one time feat, that once you are past that checkpoint, you are safe, that there is no falling behind. But my 24 year old self is here, simply amazed by how many of these players who made it, only made it for a very short period of time, only to fall back down and never recover from it.

Well that’s enough pessimism, because my goal with this blog post is not to tell you to give up football, neither is it to tell you that your dream of going pro has no basis. If you are perhaps a football parent, I am also not here to say to discourage your children from following the road to pro pathway. By all means, do what your heart tells you to do, just as I did, and I have absolute zero regret for following my heart as a clueless 20 year old boy. I am simply here to say, what I saw in these years of mindlessly channeling my energy into the football world has absolutely stunned me. Mainly for that fact that the mainstream view of a football player’s life is so far from the reality. There is absolute zero security in the football world and in my view, to actually make it as a player, mental conditioning by far exceeds the importance of any other factor such as talent(assuming you already have the basic aptitude for being a good footballer) and physical condition and even having superior connections. If you want to go pro, and keep that label for the