There should be two-years custodianship period after a player is released. During this period the club will pay AND mentor the player for an alternative profession. However, the priority should be sports related (physiotherapy, scouting) since that’s where the player’s heart is.
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So many footballers are dead lucky they can actually football.
I wonder how some of them find their way to training, they’re that fucking stupid.
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He probably lives across the street …
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Ivan’s a red, leave him alone.
Fuck Brentford.
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Devasting for the ‘virtual’ Canadian residents, who are paying for DAZN in another country. Just have to learn Japanese now, I suppose.
Wouldn’t be particularly expensive for a club to link up with a University/college.
Palace are linked with Roehampton University and Swansea with Swansea University.
Southport College used to tutor Everton youngsters when I studied there.
England has a unique league structure that should be capitalised on.
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Sat Nav in their Porsche’s and Ferrari’s.
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I went to Salford Uni. I know, I know but we were coached by the guy that “discovered” David Beckham, in the Charlton school of excellence. Basically there were strong United connections there. I know he did ask United to look at one lad that played for us, but they turned it down flat. Too old. Our team was littered with school boy internationals and lads that had trials all over. One or two were on the books of clubs and got binned. And then there was me.
Best football coach I ever had though. I could have done with that 15 years earlier
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Abit of uplifting news.
So happy for Erik, hope he does well in the EPL.
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Welcome back to the PL Christian Eriksen.
They are playing City next week 
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Good luck to him. I hope it works out.
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He could start be scoring one of his trademark free kicks, to knock Everton out of the FA cup on Saturday. Although, he probably shouldn’t be risked against the ‘dogs of war’.
Its a good news story, seems a sound guy so hopefully he gets his career back on track.
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Part of me wants to play Devil’s advocate for the aftercare programme Palace are offering for players who don’t make it. I want to say it should be on the player to improve their lot in life to boost their options - educationally, work experience, etc. This is what everyone else does. It’s a personal responsibility thing.
Let’s imagine I have my heart set on a particular career, but I don’t make it. Yes, I am disappointed by the setback, but that hoped for career doesn’t owe me anything. It is up to me to continue to overcome obstacles that come along in life, just like everyone else has to. It’s up to me to forge my own path.
Ok… with the Devil’s advocate part out of the way, I do actually like the idea I’d clubs helping people who don’t make the grade,
Pastoral care for youngsters who are making their way into adulthood is a good thing. The educational option is particularly appealing. Clubs could easily have a relationship with local colleges and universities, depending on the interests and academic ability of the player who didn’t make the grade.
If we are talking about a Prem club, it shouldn’t be too difficult to cover three years of tuition to launch their youngsters who don’t make the grade into another career. Or possibly a sliding scale, depending on how long they had been with the club?
What also needs bringing into this equation… is the false assurances given to these kids by club members who are in a position of power… then taking away this hope and these aspirations by reneging on such promises…
Throw away lines, off the cuff comments is all it takes to instil hope (false)… to then drag the rug from under them at a later time and leave them with feelings of abandonment due to failure on the part of the youngster
To a 15/16 year old kid being told they will be in the first team within a couple of years…
Getting told they will be on full money soon lad, keep it going…
etc.
etc.
These amass to false declarations at the end of the day…
All clubs carry a responsibility towards kids of an impressionable age… Duty of care and all that…
Remember watching a documentary of LFC a while back… Bodgers took Jonjo Shelvey to one side and told him to his face
" he will be using him as a mainstay attacker in the team because he has a natural way of striking the ball in front of goal…"
3 Weeks after the clip aired… Bodgers sold him to Newcastle…!!!
If CP by being proactive in their endeavours to the kids, and it at least bring the problem into the general domain for further discussion… then I for one are all for it… 
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I get you’re arguing the Devil’s advocate, but football just isn’t the same as other industries. Your attempt to land your dream gig with Goldman Sachs will still leave you set for some lesser role in the financial industry somewhere. Furthermore, Goldman wont have induced you at 12 to make sacrifices in search of that dream. Kids make sacrifices to try to make it in football in a way that leaves them largely unprepared to do anything else when that doesn’t work out. Lots of focus has been paid to ensuring these kids still get an education and giving them an off ramp, but a lot of that is lip service, things designed to look good when recruiting a kid rather than really educating them. Every attempt to bolster this part of the ecosystem in a real way should be lauded and supported.
Just as important though is the effects should be studied. This is an area where people can pat themselves on the back for being seen to do something despite it being ineffective at achieving anything. If organizations are going to put effort into initiatives like this then effort should be put into ensuring it actually has the stated outcomes.
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What Uni wouldn’t want some ex-prem academy kids playing on their team whilst getting an education? You’d think that those educational institutions would be interested in bolstering their footy program with some top tier talent whilst providing them with a solid career path. create a legacy of that, would be good for everyone
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Competitive sports really isnt part of the British University system. I dont see much benefit from this for the universities.
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fair, but who says it needs to be a British Uni? If some of those schools in the SEC really wanted to bolster their rosters as football really starts to take hold in the US, it could really be the start of something. good, likely subsidized education for the kids and better product on the pitch. maybe it gives those kids a second shot at a later career after their education, MLS or ??