It's hard to believe that footballers can be earning a weekly wage in the region of £10,000 before they make a first team appearance, but it's very much an ongoing theme nowadays. It's hard to believe that footballers can be earning a weekly wage in the region of £10,000 before they make a first team appearance, but it's very much an ongoing theme nowadays.
It used to be the will to succeed, the passion, the enjoyment of playing that attracted youngsters to the beautiful game. But it seems that giving these youth prospects money and endorsement deals too early on in their careers can result in a plummet in performance levels.
Players such as Jack Rodwell broke into Everton's first team at the age of 17 and was regarded as: 'The next Rio Ferdinand', but it's fair to say he hasn't quite lived up to the hype.
Having been relegated with Sunderland, the club now find themselves at the foot of the Championship table, with back-to-back relegation becoming an increasing concern for the Black Cats.
Could it be possible that Rodwell lost his desire to become the next Rio? And rather settled for Man City where he would earn far more money, in the region of £2.08 million a year?
The increase in foreign players entering the league seems to flush these promising home-grown players out of the fold, and with Yaya Toure and David Silva ahead of him at the time, it was never going to be easy to become a regular in the first team.
Jack Wilshere was also a player who broke onto the scene at a young age. In this case it was for his boyhood club, Arsenal. The 19 year old outclassed Xavi and Iniesta in the club's 2011 Champions League tie against Barcelona, attracting a lot of attention.
However, Wilshere has been involved in more headlines off the pitch than on it; smoking and fighting around nightclubs being some of the major stories in recent years.
Given the potential the Englishman showed in the early stages of his career, it seemed as though he'd be a guaranteed starter in the English National team, for the next decade.
But a series of knee injuries and calf problems have prevented the 26-year-old from reaching his full potential. Although he still plays for Arsenal and is showing signs of improvement this season, I personally hope he can reach his potential so that the English National Team doesn't produce another failed 'wonderkid'.
So how can the FA resolve this situation? With the evolution of endorsements and sponsorship deals in this current age, young players are prone to losing motivation and focusing on the financial aspects of football, rather than focusing on performing and improving. A maximum of £5,000 a week for any player aged under 20 in the top four tiers in English football would help eradicate this issue and players would be motivated to be known for their ability on the pitch, rather than off it.
Premier league legends, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand, raised their opinions on the situation while appearing as pundits for BT Sport. 'Players are earning £10,000, £15,000 before they even get to play for the first team'. Showing how privileged the youngsters are before they even reach the top.
With talented English prospects coming through such as Marcus Rashford and Dele Alli, lets hope they don't end up like poor old Jack Rodwell.
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