Have boots will travel: The other side of football's summer sales

[Delima]

The Independent

 

Have boots will travel: The other side of football's summer sales

 

For some footballers the summer is a time for multi-million pound moves and glamorous new teams. For many more there is the stress and anxiety of finding a new job having been released by their club. Glenn Moore talks to a 26-year-old defender who made his debut with Ashley Cole... and who is now waiting for the phone to ring

 

Published: 06 June 2007

 

'If come the end of July, I'm still going to the gym on my own, then it may be time to panic' The close season, which begins officially tomorrow after tonight's England game in Tallinn, is often a difficult time for professional footballers. With no training to occupy them life is just a series of decisions: St Lucia or St Kitts? Ferrari or Porsche? Milan or Barcelona?

 

That is the popular image, but for a significant number of players the summer is the time to worry. It is the season when they move on. For the lucky few the question will be which big club they will sign for, and how many more millions they will be paid each year. For many more - around 250, plus a similar numbers of 18-year-olds still making their way in the game - the outlook is far bleaker. They have been released at the end of the season and are looking for a job. Two-thirds of them will not be fixed up with a League club when the new campaign starts in August. Rhys Weston is in just that position - wondering about the future and fretting about the bills.

 

Weston was once one of the chosen. He went to the National School of Excellence at Lilleshall with Scott Parker. He made his Premiership debut in the same match, and same Arsenal defence, as Ashley Cole. He made his international debut against Rui Costa. He won two promotions, one in front of a delirious crowd at the Millennium Stadium. All fond memories. But today Weston just waits. Waits for the phone to ring, waits for his agent to call, waits to be told he is wanted. At 26, this veteran of 232 professional matches is on the scrapheap, temporarily at least.

 

A player of his age and experience ought to be picked up. He has three decent seasons of Championship football under his belt. But he knows, from painful, personal experience, there are no guarantees. In the past 12 months he has been released by managers in three different countries. He fears would-be employers are forgetting about him and worries about the references he is being given. He has been well paid in the past, and invested wisely, but at an age when most people's careers are taking off, his has stalled.

 

"It doesn't hit you at first," Weston says. "You think 'that chapter's closed, now start a new one'. You hope you've done enough in your time in football to get a decent move but it has not really happened that way."

 

Weston's decline in status from Cardiff City regular, to unemployed footballer, began when Dave Jones took over at Ninian Park in May 2005. "Some managers like you, some don't. For whatever reason David Jones didn't fancy me," says Weston.

 

He had been a first choice under his previous Cardiff managers, Bobby Gould, Alan Cork and Lennie Lawrence, but his last season had been truncated by injury. Jones offered him a contract extension, at the cost of a 20 per cent pay cut. Weston was settled in the area, so he took it. He was omitted at the start of the season, but soon won a place, and kept it until February. But for the first time in his career he was being substituted for reasons other than injury and, once dropped, could not get back.

 

At the end of the season he saw Jones again. "When you've been at a club a long time you don't expect the day to come when you have to move on," says Weston. "It hits you like a brick wall. You never really prepare yourself, you walk into that office, half-hoping he'll say, 'See you next season'." Instead Jones said: "I'm going to look to move you on."

 

There was a further snag. "I had a year left on my deal and he said he wanted a fee for me," says Weston, who had cost Cardiff £250,000 when moving from Arsenal in 2000. "Full-back is not the most glamorous position, people will not pay money if they can help it. Time went on, nothing happened, then he said he'd take a nominal fee." But by then the new season had started - Weston had even played for Jones in a Carling Cup defeat at Barnet and suffered a calf injury.

 

In November a club finally called. It was Viking Stavanger, in Norway. Weston agreed a deal with Cardiff to cancel his contract, packed his boots, and crossed the North Sea. But Viking had been struggling. "The manager was sacked within four days of me arriving. The new manager said to me, 'I can see you are a decent player, but I can't express myself fully to you in English, I'd rather stick to the players I know.' I found myself stuck in the same situation I'd been in at Cardiff, but thousands of miles away from family and friends."

 

Weston liked Stavanger, was warmly welcomed by his new team-mates, and even played a part in their escape from relegation on the final day. However, it was only a small part as, in what was his club debut, he dislocated his shoulder after 12 minutes. "I came home and went to the gym every day for four or five weeks, getting my shoulder right. All the time [his agents] Dean [baker] and Andy [Evans] were making calls."

 

The pressure grew when the transfer window opened in January. As a free agent, Weston had been available in December, now he had more competition. Jones would not let him train with Cardiff, but Russell Slade, at Yeovil, did. So he trained, and waited. Salvation, of sorts, appeared to arrive at the end of January. Martin Foyle, the Port Vale manager, wanted Weston.

 

He had to take a 75 per cent pay cut from his Cardiff salary. Without revealing his personal finances, this was in line, when the contrasting ambitions and resources of the two clubs are considered, with the findings of last year's Independent/PFA survey which revealed the average basic in the Championship to be £195,000 a year, in League One £67,850 pa. It is, said Weston, "quite a change in lifestyle", but it was an opportunity. Weston started every one of the last 15 matches. During this time he commuted from Cardiff, living in a hotel in the week, seeing his wife, Kay, and 11-year-old stepson, Connor, from Saturday night to Monday morning. Then Foyle rang him up and said "thanks, but no thanks".

 

Weston was back on the scrapheap. There was a sting in this particular tale. "He told me he wanted someone who would attack a bit more, which I disagreed with as I feel it is part of my natural game. He also thanked me and said I'd been a good signing, given him no problems, and if he could do anything to help, let him know. A few days later, a mate who lives up there tells me he's been on BBC Radio Stoke saying my attitude was wrong, I didn't work hard enough in training, and he had spoken to people within the game who've backed up his opinion.

 

"I think he wanted to bring in cheaper players, he'd been tapping up a couple I know. So why not just admit it was necessary to release me for financial reasons - or, if that is his real opinion of me, why not tell me?"

 

Football is a world of whispers, where managers constantly work the phones, canvassing opinions on players. Weston fears both Jones and Foyle, his last two British managers, are delivering negative reviews. Of his other managers, Gould and Cork are out of work, Lawrence is director of football at Bristol Rovers, and Wenger remains at Arsenal. "I called Lennie," says Weston, "but he has two right-backs signed up - and I think Arsène has other options."

 

So he waits while his agents ring round. "It's a bit daunting trusting your future to someone else but you have to," he says. "I don't know enough people in football to ring them up. It is worrying. I've a family and I'm the sole breadwinner.

 

"We don't have any money coming in until I get a contract. And it is a bad time. Connor goes to secondary school next year. That's a daunting enough prospect in itself for a kid. It is a vital time in his life, the formative years. Kids are adaptable but to get the best out of themselves at school they need a settled home life. He doesn't even know where he'll be living.

 

"I've been away from home seven out of 12 months this year so the next move I get, if it ever materialises, we'll be moving lock, stock and barrel." That may be a big commitment, for there is no guarantee of a lengthy deal.

 

"Money is tight in football now," says Weston. "Three or four years ago people would think nothing of giving you a two-year deal to see how you got on, they won't do that anymore." Weston, who believes his best position is his original one, central defender, rather than full-back, admits he has considered worst case scenarios. "I said to a friend the other day, if only I had another profession to fall back on, the way I've been feeling about football the last six months, I'd jack it in. The first thing I will initiate when I get a contract is a business management course.

 

"I don't want to be looking over my shoulder again, nicking a year here, a year there, trying to drag it out as long as possible. It does make you take stock a little bit. You know you won't play football forever but normally you don't think about the future until you get to 30. But it's not desperation stakes yet. If it comes to the end of July and I'm still going down the gym on my own every day, maybe then it will be time to start panicking."

 

Weston is sanguine about his fate, he is looking for an opportunity, not sympathy. The days when he played alongside Ashley Cole and Jermaine Pennant seem "a long time ago now" but he has had a better career than many of his young Arsenal contemporaries. Brian McGovern, who made his Premiership debut in the same match as Weston, actually replacing the latter at Newcastle United in May 2000, left Arsenal for Norwich City, then Peterbrough, before dropping out of League football at 22.

 

He was last heard of playing in the League of Ireland. And he made the first team, 85 per cent of 16-year-olds taken on by football clubs are out of the game at 21. "I've been lucky, to a point to have the career I've had so far," says Weston. "I've had eight years as a professional. It is a great career, you don't appreciate it for what it is until it is threatened. There are many jobs, even at League One wages, where you could get the same pay for the same amount of work. But while I love football I enjoy other aspects of life outside the game. I'd miss the camaraderie, but my heart won't stop if I'm not playing.

 

"The frustrating thing is you are dependent on one person's opinion. I know I have it in me, I just hope someone will give me an opportunity to show it. It is a waiting game, someone has to fancy you." And with that, we shake hands. I walk away, he checks his phone for messages.

 

Rhys Weston Curriculum Vitae

 

Birthplace: Kingston, Surrey

 

Birthdate: 27 October 1980 (age 26)

 

Nationality: Welsh

 

Status: Married

 

Profession: Footballer

 

Position: Defender

 

Previous clubs:

 

Oct 1986-Nov 2000 Arsenal

 

Nov 2000-Aug 2006 Cardiff

 

Sept-Nov 2006 Viking Stavanger

 

Feb-May 2007 Port Vale

 

Honours:

 

Seven international caps, four under-21 (Wales)

 

Youth and schoolboy international (England)

 

Promoted from Division Three (Cardiff, 2000-01)

 

Promoted from Division Two (Cardiff, 2002-03)

 

Referees: Mark Hughes c/o Blackburn Rovers FC

 

Lennie Lawrence c/o Bristol Rovers FC

 

Contact:

 

Dean Baker or Andy Evans at World In Motion sports management (Tel: 07957 367 839)

 

Hanging on the telephone: Free agents released by clubs at the end of the season

 

Premiership

 

Bolton Wanderers:

 

Henrik Pedersen (age 31, 171 games for Bolton)

 

Quinton Fortune (30, 7) - Surely he won't be short of suitors? Why idi he not get a game in Bolton?

 

Cesar Martin (30, 1)

 

David Thompson (29, 8)

 

Charlton Athletic:

 

Jimmy F Hasselbaink (35, 25) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Everton:

 

Alessandro Pistone (31, 117)

 

Richard Wright (29, 71)

 

Fulham:

 

Mark Crossley (37, 23) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Tomasz Radzinski (33, 116)

 

Mark Pembridge (36, 54)

 

Claus Jensen (30, 40) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Liverpool:

 

Robbie Fowler (32, 39) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Jerzy Dudek (34, 186) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Boudewijn Zenden (30, 47) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Manchester City:

 

Trevor Sinclair (34, 98)

 

Stephen Jordan (25, 2)

 

Nathan D'Laryea (17, 0)

 

Hatem Trabelsi (30, 23) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Middlesbrough:

 

Malcolm Christie (28, 49)

 

Stuart Parnaby (24, 127) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Newcastle United:

 

Craig Moore (31, 31) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Pavel Srnicek (39, 2)

 

Olivier Bernard (27, 0)

 

Tottenham Hotspur:

 

Rob Burch (22, 0)

 

Watford:

 

Chris Powell (37, 18) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

West Ham United:

 

Roy Carroll (29, 35) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Kepa Blanco (23, 8)

 

Wigan Athletic:

 

Arjan De Zeeuw (37, 57) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

David Unsworth (33, 10) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Championship

 

Burnley:

 

John McGreal (35, 107)

 

Graham Branch (35, 298)

 

Danny Coyne (33, 44)

 

Cardiff City:

 

Neil Alexander (29, 234) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Curtis McDonald (19, 1)

 

Jeff Whitley (32, 38)

 

Nick McKoy (20, 1)

 

Gregg Coombes (19, 0)

 

Luigi Glombard (22, 7)

 

Mark Howard (20, 1)

 

Kevin Campbell (37, 20)

 

Michael Corcoran (19, 0)

 

Jamal Easter (19, 0)

 

Colchester United:

 

Laurie Wilson (19, 0)

 

Crystal Palace:

 

Tommy Black (27, 153)

 

Michael Hughes (35, 141)

 

Danny Granville (32, 138)

 

Derby County:

 

Paul Peschisolido (36, 102)

 

Seth Johnson (28, 65) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Lee Grant (24, 79) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Paul Boertien (28, 126)

 

Morten Bisgaard (33, 110)

 

Steven Cann (19, 0)

 

Lionel Ainsworth (19, 2)

 

Tom Cumberworth (19, 0)

 

Leeds United:

 

Ian Moore (30, 65)

 

Hayden Foxe (29, 21)

 

Robbie Elliott (33, 8)

 

Neil Sullivan (37, 110)

 

Stephen Crainey (25, 62)

 

Sam Hird (19, 0)

 

Miguel Armando Sa (31, 12)

 

Leicester City:

 

Nils-Eric Johansson (27, 83)

 

Danny Tiatto (34, 83)

 

Danny Cadamarteri (27, 11)

 

Andy Johnson (33, 22)

 

Luton Town:

 

Peter Holmes (26, 127)

 

Michael Leary (24, 31)

 

Danny Stevens (18, 1)

 

Plymouth Argyle:

 

Josh Clapham (22, 0)

 

Preston North End:

 

Pavel Pergl (29, 6)

 

Ashley Parillon (19, 0)

 

Michael Ricketts (28, 16)

 

Ben Hinchcliffe (18, 0)

 

Carlo Nash (33, 94) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Sheffield Wednesday:

 

Chris Adamson (28, 12)

 

Steve Adams (26, 21)

 

Barry Corr (22, 19)

 

John Hills (29, 46)

 

Stoke City:

 

Kevin Harper (31, 31)

 

Sunderland:

 

Tommy Miller (28, 35)

 

Kenny Cunningham (35, 12) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

William Mocquet (24, 0)

 

West Bromwich Albion:

 

Chris Perry (34, 27) - Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

Wolverhampton Wanderers:

 

Rohan Ricketts (24, 49)

 

Carl Cort (29, 99)

 

Michael Oakes (33, 220)

[Guest redmayne]

fuck off and shorten it

 

[Optimistic Nut]

Good read that.

[geordie_b]

if delima ever decided to become a journalist......... Surely he won't be short of suitors?

[Delima]

if delima ever decided to become a journalist......... Surely he won't be short of suitors?

 

I have recently been told off by a mod for starting pointless, stupid, useless, childish, joke thread quoting worst source possible. I am desperately short of readers not to mention suitors.

[Guest Johan]

Hey, lets get this one signed:) must be better than that freakin carr..

[Guest Pie]

Good read that.

Interesting stuff. I work with a fella who was an ex pro and he is still only 27. Played for England Schoolboys, played at Leeds, ended up winning the FA Vase and played a good standard when he left Leeds but guess plenty just see other options. He still gets paid for part-time non-league stuff and apparently that pays a bit of his mortgage.

[1878]

Good read that.

 

Yeah, interesting to see what it's like for lower league players in his position. The Port Vale boss sounds like a right wanker.

[Optimistic Nut]

Thing is, Weston will be one of the lucky ones. As long as he doesn't price himself out of a move, he'll always get a League One or Two club willing to give him a year deal.

[1878]

Thing is, Weston will be one of the lucky ones. As long as he doesn't price himself out of a move, he'll always get a League One or Two club willing to give him a year deal.

 

Yeah. £67,850 pa doesn't sound bad to me.

 

He'd just have to use it wisely so that he has enough to live comfortably when he retires at 36 or whatever. Still, it shows the gap when there are dozens of players in the Premiership who earn more in a week than a League One player does in a year.

[brummie]

You can add Lee Hendrie to that list of free agents. Although word has it he's taking his mutant orange face to Sunderland

[Delima]

Thing is, Weston will be one of the lucky ones. As long as he doesn't price himself out of a move, he'll always get a League One or Two club willing to give him a year deal.

 

Yeah. £67,850 pa doesn't sound bad to me.

 

He'd just have to use it wisely so that he has enough to live comfortably when he retires at 36 or whatever. Still, it shows the gap when there are dozens of players in the Premiership who earn more in a week than a League One player does in a year.

 

It is only fair though. An League One football fans will still watch the Premiership (hence the money) yet an average Premiership football fan will hardly watch League One.

[Delima]

You can add Lee Hendrie to that list of free agents. Although word has it he's taking his mutant orange face to Sunderland

 

I don't think he is good enough for Sunderland. They have Tobias Hysén, Dean Whitehead, Grant Leadbitter, Graham Kavanagh, Liam Miller, Ross Walace and Carlos Edwards.

[brummie]

Thing is, Weston will be one of the lucky ones. As long as he doesn't price himself out of a move, he'll always get a League One or Two club willing to give him a year deal.

 

Yeah. £67,850 pa doesn't sound bad to me.

 

He'd just have to use it wisely so that he has enough to live comfortably when he retires at 36 or whatever. Still, it shows the gap when there are dozens of players in the Premiership who earn more in a week than a League One player does in a year.

 

Good salary for your average man on the street, but no way is that enough to retire on at 36, tbh. 67k pa is 3.7k net a month.  That's not stratospheric by any stretch of the imagination.

[1878]

Thing is, Weston will be one of the lucky ones. As long as he doesn't price himself out of a move, he'll always get a League One or Two club willing to give him a year deal.

 

Yeah. £67,850 pa doesn't sound bad to me.

 

He'd just have to use it wisely so that he has enough to live comfortably when he retires at 36 or whatever. Still, it shows the gap when there are dozens of players in the Premiership who earn more in a week than a League One player does in a year.

 

Good salary for your average man on the street, but no way is that enough to retire on at 36, tbh. 67k pa is 3.7k net a month.  That's not stratospheric by any stretch of the imagination.

 

I know but I'm presuming he's earned a fair bit more than that in the past when he was at Cardiff. And as I said, he will have had to invest it wisely from day one. If he owns property dating back a few years then he's sorted.

[NE6]

You can add Lee Hendrie to that list of free agents. Although word has it he's taking his mutant orange face to Sunderland

 

 

That place will suit that little shit down to the ground, one little shit surrounded by lots of repulsive big steaming shits i.e. stadium of shite

[Keefaz]

Thing is, Weston will be one of the lucky ones. As long as he doesn't price himself out of a move, he'll always get a League One or Two club willing to give him a year deal.

 

Yeah. £67,850 pa doesn't sound bad to me.

 

He'd just have to use it wisely so that he has enough to live comfortably when he retires at 36 or whatever. Still, it shows the gap when there are dozens of players in the Premiership who earn more in a week than a League One player does in a year.

 

Good salary for your average man on the street, but no way is that enough to retire on at 36, tbh. 67k pa is 3.7k net a month.  That's not stratospheric by any stretch of the imagination.

 

I suspect when you're only a 'good player' (i.e. professional standard but not Championship/PL level), you need some others skills to fall back on. There's always coaching or whatever if you're a thickie.