For any young, aspirational footballer who wants to make it in the professional game, there are a number of things they can do to help themselves – and it isn’t easy; more of than not it comes down to luck, hard work, talent and being in the right place at the right time.
Those who have made it in the game, usually have defined characteristics that improve their chances though and young footballers – even from the age of six can follow these examples to give themselves the best opportunities.
As such, we’ve analysed some of the names that stick out of professional footballers who have made it over the years.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Perhaps an obvious one – you could argue that Ronaldo wasn’t naturally gifted, though he did have talent. From an early age, the Portuguese, Madeiran-born footballer was dealt a bad hand. His father died while he was young, leaving his family almost in poverty.
Born with a natural work ethic, he also showed passion and an aptitude for football. His breakthrough came when Sporting Lisbon took a chance on him and then later, Sir Alex Ferguson noticed something special in him and brought him to Manchester United.
There he found a ‘father figure’ in Ferguson, who took him under his wing and instilled the importance of simple football principles in him. As a result of this, Ronaldo focused on working harder than anyone else – staying for hours after training and over the years he has become arguably the best in the world. His longevity is testament to his sheer discipline. Definitely a role mode for kids to follow.
Peter Crouch
Perhaps one from left-field here – Crouch played to his strengths, but worked hard and always had a smile on his face. Due to his extraordinary height, his coaches worked with this to make him one of the most effective players in the Premier League. Though it could also be argued that his youth managers made use of specialist soccer training equipment to enhance this side of his game.
Fundamentally for Crouch, he was what you would call a ‘model professional’ – he was rarely booked – if he was, the cause often being an accident, due to his awkward gangilness. He always played with a smile on his face and was respected for his humility.
Andres Iniesta
Coming through the fabled ‘La Masia’ academy at Barcelona, Iniesta became, arguably, the best in the world at doing one thing. His game (like the club’s) was based around passing, but he also had one of the best footballing brains of his generation.
Demonstrating sheer humility, he never let success go to his head and this was a key trait to why he was one of the best (if not most underrated) player in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side.