Why don't more British players move abroad?

[Kaizero]

There's an English bloke on my town's team, they play in the third tier of the Norwegian football league system. Just find it a very random place for an English footballer to end up as we got him from another Norwegian club who got him from Spurs.

[Guest Heneage]

I think this is why academies should open lads up to learning new languages, they need to take more responsibility. Its great if you make the grade at a club and earn big money but for the mountains of lads that get released its often "What next?". You look at the likes of Ajax and Barcelona where the kids are put into boarding school like academies where they are taught languages and other skills that can benefit them outside of football.

 

It has its disadvantages admittedly I mean a lad I know has just quit a school in the US where he'd been given a scholarship for Football, part due to home sickness and part due to the work, I think he's mental myself as I'd happily live in the US if it meant I had a chance of turning pro which he did have a really good chance of.

 

Like I say the academies really need to be more involved in all round player development, both on and off the pitch, that way if a player does get released they stand a decent chance of being able to at least try playing abroad.

[Guest iliketoonarmy]

Great article, and I think it's not easy when Matt made the decision.

And spot on cp40, because they're shit.

[Rob W]

well over 100 clubs in this country where you can make a living FULL TIME - nowhere else I think that applies

 

of course if there were UK players there then more would go - its always easier if you have a fellow countryman already settled in

 

Plus the language issue - most UK footballers can hardly speak English so the idea of them learning another language.................

[Guest eltsacwen]

It's down to money and the opportunity to play at great stadiums against big teams. Just look at Blackburn. Their average attendance is 23.100. Olympiakos has 25.200. Not a big difference even though the Greeks may be noisier. If you look at the rest of the Greek league 11/16 teams has an average attendance less than 5.500! Which means that 11 away games will be just like reserve games in England and the home games against the same teams will be walkovers. You have the same problem in Portugal where 11/16 teams have less than 5.200 attendances on average. (both leagues mentioned in the article)

 

But I see no reason (except money) why there aren't more English players in Holland, Germany, France, Spain and Italy which are very competitive leagues with a big clubs.

[PCW1983]

Personally I don't understand why more players don't, yes money is prob the biggest reason but tbh if I thought I could earn what I do now playing abroad I would without thinking, I might be wrong but I think too many young kids at acadamies must be under the impression that they are the next big thing, my example: Lee Martin of Man Utd, started the season on loan at forest who sent him back coz they realized he was shit, now playing for Man Utd reserves strutted round St James a month ago like he was the next Cantona. 

[mrmojorisin75]

Great article, and I think it's not easy when Matt made the decision.

And spot on cp40, because they're shit.

 

yeah, pretty much case closed on this one from cp40 like

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think a lot of it is down to language and culture, footballers are mainly working class blokes who get caught up in an amazing career and don't open their minds to the opportunities that are available.

[Guest optimistic nit]

money, mainly. same reason why foreign players move from the top teams in their countries to shit sides like Bolton.

 

it is noticeable though that, while there's plenty of french, spanish and even italian youngsters at academy and reserve level in the UK, are there 16 year old english lads beingsnapped up by big foreign teams? you need a slightly different skillset to succeed in some of the continental leagues and most english players don't have it.

 

thats not really the reason imo. there's no reason that 16 year old brits playing in an academy in, say, milan couldn't pick up the italian game. they never give it the chance/are never given the chance.

 

 

'cause most other countries concentrate on developing their own youngsters rather than poach them from abroad

 

a contributing factor to why our national team is so shit

 

 

look at the players in our national team. we have some of the best defenders in the world, some of the best midfielders in the world, one of the best strikers in the world. the reason that our national team is so shit, imo, is that all the emphasis in english football is on the club game. playing for england comes second and when you're being paid 100 grand a week for your club its not hard to see why. now that the club game is so vital (sky money and the insane competitiveness (driven by sky money) of it being the main culprits) playing for england is more of a distraction.

[GG]

I think this is why academies should open lads up to learning new languages, they need to take more responsibility. Its great if you make the grade at a club and earn big money but for the mountains of lads that get released its often "What next?". You look at the likes of Ajax and Barcelona where the kids are put into boarding school like academies where they are taught languages and other skills that can benefit them outside of football.

 

It has its disadvantages admittedly I mean a lad I know has just quit a school in the US where he'd been given a scholarship for Football, part due to home sickness and part due to the work, I think he's mental myself as I'd happily live in the US if it meant I had a chance of turning pro which he did have a really good chance of.

 

Like I say the academies really need to be more involved in all round player development, both on and off the pitch, that way if a player does get released they stand a decent chance of being able to at least try playing abroad.

 

Harefield Academy.