Following Your Dream: The Education-Football dilemma
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
To go or not to go, that is the question many talented young kids are faced with when a big English or Scottish club come knocking on their door. It is every young Irish kids dream to play in the English Premier League, to have the opportunity to play in front of thousands upon thousands of people every week, the fame, the wealth, the respect, the glitz and the glamour that come with it. So how can anyone be expected to turn down that opportunity, as very few even get the chance in the first place to try their luck across the water?
Well, unfortunately the fact remains that 90% of Irish teenagers that attempt to follow their dream abroad are left with the harsh reality of getting released from their respective clubs and returning home. Hence, my big question is, return home to what?
Most of these talented young Irish kids are targeted by big name English and Scottish clubs before they complete their Leaving Certificate. For many, making it big across the water will remain a distant dream. The reality will, therefore, often see them released at the age of 18 and sent back to Ireland. The success stories of Irish players who left these shores at a young age such as Robbie Keane and Damian Duff are there to be seen but what happens to the hundreds of young kids who gave up their education in hope of making it big in England.
What happens to these young teenagers when their dream of making it big abroad is shattered and they are sent home? They are left with no education and no real sense of the real world along with the disillusionment and disappointment of what feels like failure.
I was 18 years of age when I returned home after my first stint in England with Leicester City. My dream of becoming a star across the water was severely dented. However, believe it or not, I was actually one of the lucky few. Let me explain why.
When I was 16 years of age, I had the opportunity to sign for Arsenal. I had just finished 5th year in school so I was one year away from completing secondary school. After a successful four week trial, Arsenal offered me a 3 year contract. However, due to a little bit of homesickness and the fact that I felt I should finish my Leaving Cert before going to England, I declined the contract offer.
A year later, having just completed my secondary education, I got the opportunity to follow my English dream as Leicester City came calling. Unfortunately for a number of reasons, that move failed to work out and I was left with the disappointment of returning home to Ireland. However, one big positive and advantage that I had over many that returned home and will return home was that I had finished my leaving cert before I departed for England.
I was lucky because I was able to go straight into doing my business degree in college in D.I.T and also sign for Bray Wanderers so that helped ease my displeasure at getting released.
A former team mate of mine, Jason Gavin, who left at the age of 16 and made the breakthrough in England for a period of time with Middlesborough, once said that “it is all a matter of luck as the majority doesn’t make it.W Eoin Hand, who is the FAI’s Player Support Service Manager, also stated before that “it is not an ideal situation for players to be going to Britain without having completed their Leaving Certificate. It would be more constructive if players stayed in Ireland longer”.
For those of you who are reading this thinking that I am trying to discourage kids from following their dream of making it big in Britain, I am not. I am simply trying to paint a realistic picture and show people a different view of things.
Let me offer another outlook and possible route for young Irish kids who want to stay at home, finish their education and still get the opportunity to make it big across the water. It is evident over the past few years that more and more clubs from Britain are looking at young talent within the League of Ireland. We are left with the situation where young kids can complete their Leaving Cert, develop their talent as a footballer whilst playing for a club in the LoI, and still get the opportunity to make it big in England.
You only have to look at Kevin Doyle, Keith Fahey, Gary Deegan, Seamus Coleman, David Meyler; they are key examples of young players who played within the League of Ireland and still got their chance of making it big in England. Last week, I heard that two of my team mates at Sporting Fingal, Shane McFaul and Ronan Finn were attracting the attention of Celtic. Another one of my team mates who is attracting attention from clubs abroad is Shaun Williams. It just goes to show you clubs abroad are watching our talented young players here in the LoI.
I believe that it is not the end of the road for talented young Irish kids who opt against leaving these shores in search of stardom abroad. In the current climate, with many scouts looking at talent within the LOI, young Irish kids have the opportunity these days to complete their education, develop as a footballer and person at a LoI club and still get their chance to follow their dream of playing for a big club in Britain.
Well, unfortunately the fact remains that 90% of Irish teenagers that attempt to follow their dream abroad are left with the harsh reality of getting released from their respective clubs and returning home. Hence, my big question is, return home to what?
Most of these talented young Irish kids are targeted by big name English and Scottish clubs before they complete their Leaving Certificate. For many, making it big across the water will remain a distant dream. The reality will, therefore, often see them released at the age of 18 and sent back to Ireland. The success stories of Irish players who left these shores at a young age such as Robbie Keane and Damian Duff are there to be seen but what happens to the hundreds of young kids who gave up their education in hope of making it big in England.
What happens to these young teenagers when their dream of making it big abroad is shattered and they are sent home? They are left with no education and no real sense of the real world along with the disillusionment and disappointment of what feels like failure.
I was 18 years of age when I returned home after my first stint in England with Leicester City. My dream of becoming a star across the water was severely dented. However, believe it or not, I was actually one of the lucky few. Let me explain why.
When I was 16 years of age, I had the opportunity to sign for Arsenal. I had just finished 5th year in school so I was one year away from completing secondary school. After a successful four week trial, Arsenal offered me a 3 year contract. However, due to a little bit of homesickness and the fact that I felt I should finish my Leaving Cert before going to England, I declined the contract offer.
A year later, having just completed my secondary education, I got the opportunity to follow my English dream as Leicester City came calling. Unfortunately for a number of reasons, that move failed to work out and I was left with the disappointment of returning home to Ireland. However, one big positive and advantage that I had over many that returned home and will return home was that I had finished my leaving cert before I departed for England.
I was lucky because I was able to go straight into doing my business degree in college in D.I.T and also sign for Bray Wanderers so that helped ease my displeasure at getting released.
A former team mate of mine, Jason Gavin, who left at the age of 16 and made the breakthrough in England for a period of time with Middlesborough, once said that “it is all a matter of luck as the majority doesn’t make it.W Eoin Hand, who is the FAI’s Player Support Service Manager, also stated before that “it is not an ideal situation for players to be going to Britain without having completed their Leaving Certificate. It would be more constructive if players stayed in Ireland longer”.
For those of you who are reading this thinking that I am trying to discourage kids from following their dream of making it big in Britain, I am not. I am simply trying to paint a realistic picture and show people a different view of things.
Let me offer another outlook and possible route for young Irish kids who want to stay at home, finish their education and still get the opportunity to make it big across the water. It is evident over the past few years that more and more clubs from Britain are looking at young talent within the League of Ireland. We are left with the situation where young kids can complete their Leaving Cert, develop their talent as a footballer whilst playing for a club in the LoI, and still get the opportunity to make it big in England.
You only have to look at Kevin Doyle, Keith Fahey, Gary Deegan, Seamus Coleman, David Meyler; they are key examples of young players who played within the League of Ireland and still got their chance of making it big in England. Last week, I heard that two of my team mates at Sporting Fingal, Shane McFaul and Ronan Finn were attracting the attention of Celtic. Another one of my team mates who is attracting attention from clubs abroad is Shaun Williams. It just goes to show you clubs abroad are watching our talented young players here in the LoI.
I believe that it is not the end of the road for talented young Irish kids who opt against leaving these shores in search of stardom abroad. In the current climate, with many scouts looking at talent within the LOI, young Irish kids have the opportunity these days to complete their education, develop as a footballer and person at a LoI club and still get their chance to follow their dream of playing for a big club in Britain.
