Trent Alexander-Arnold

[Harv]

I remember having a conversation with my son when he was about 13 and he was playing football at a reasonable level , attending a private school & having music lessons to play bass guitar. He said Dad all my teachers & coaches tell me to practice more, to study more etc & he came to the realization that he was never going to play for Liverpool or make a living from his football & never going to live comfortably as a bass guitarist so he decided to stop his music lessons & concentrate on his studies as he knew that was his best chance of living out his dreams. It was a very mature decision & one that he had to make. I loved watching my son play football but never pressured him or condemned him for the decision he made but I’ve seen the ugly side of parents living out there lives through their kids.

Boom. Smart kid

[Fosterbloke]

Why do they "need a leg up"?? Because they failed at something?

This is what im getting at, why should a footballer get special treatment in any facet of life? Its absurd. Sure, they'd be extremely disappointed that they didnt "make it". But thats the case with literally any career. ****, i was gutted when i didnt get my dream job. I was gutted when we didnt win a dream client and a huge budget brief...you get on with it though don't you??

Maybe the bigger deal here is the lack of education within footballers. Are these guys just giving up on all schooling because they're good at football at 14 and will definitely be in the less than 1% that make it at a big club? Maybe having a back up plan is a good idea for these kids?

Is this a copy and paste from a Daily Mail comments section or something?

This post highlights a painful lack of empathy for people chasing a career you know nothing about.

I'd imagine their plight is akin to being disowned by their parents at 16 because they failed to live up to expectations.

[Harv]

But i am am sure you carried on and maybe hit a dream job on day or the big brief and you are older to understand.

Big difference to getting your one and only dream crushed, were you groomed from 5 to beleive you were going to be the best Architect, Mcdonallds worker, Accountant, DOctor whatever you are? a single focus got to hurt.

Thats the point. Maybe have more options? This is on the parents too.

I wanted to be an Astronaut when I was a kid. Dreamed big. That didn't work out unfortunately as I was **** at maths. But you can pick a new path.

[Harv]

Is this a copy and paste from a Daily Mail comments section or something?

This post highlights a painful lack of empathy for people chasing a career you know nothing about.

I'd imagine their plight is akin to being disowned by their parents at 16 because they failed to live up to expectations.

Eh? I know full well what its about.

plight

Youre making out like they all get tossed into a vat of molten metal and turned into subbuteo figures when they 'don't make it'.

[Fosterbloke]

I remember having a conversation with my son when he was about 13 and he was playing football at a reasonable level , attending a private school & having music lessons to play bass guitar. He said Dad all my teachers & coaches tell me to practice more, to study more etc & he came to the realization that he was never going to play for Liverpool or make a living from his football & never going to live comfortably as a bass guitarist so he decided to stop his music lessons & concentrate on his studies as he knew that was his best chance of living out his dreams. It was a very mature decision & one that he had to make. I loved watching my son play football but never pressured him or condemned him for the decision he made but I’ve seen the ugly side of parents living out there lives through their kids.

You live in a beautiful part of the world with lots of opportunities, and are relatively wealthy compared to many of these kid's families. For some this is their one shot at lifting themselves and their families out of the poverty trap - a lot is riding on their shoulders.

Bravo to your child for being mature but this isn't the same. Your son wasn't playing at the highest level, a stone's throw from multi-millionaire street. Your son is at a private school, not some ****ty slum secondary. And music lessons, well yeah that's a luxury right there.

[SB]

I know one family that all moved to Barcelona when their 8 year old was signed by the club. Released at 12, signed by Liverpool, released at 14. Parents were pushy, now the kid is 19 and struggling in a dead end job.

That’s sad hey. Kids have no idea what they really want to do for the rest of their lives at that age & they can see M&D get excited watching them play & they get the recognition being the star player in their team & it’s like a drug & they want more. Despite the tiny % that actually make a career of it parents still let them put all their eggs in the one basket.

[Fosterbloke]

Eh? I know full well what its about.

I apologise if in fact you were close to a professional contract with a top football club only to be rejected.

[SB]

You live in a beautiful part of the world with lots of opportunities, and are relatively wealthy compared to many of these kid's families. For some this is their one shot at lifting themselves and their families out of the poverty trap - a lot is riding on their shoulders.

Bravo to your child for being mature but this isn't the same. Your son wasn't playing at the highest level, a stone's throw from multi-millionaire street. Your son is at a private school, not some ****ty slum secondary. And music lessons, well yeah that's a luxury right there.

All valid points mate & I totally agree. I wasn’t comparing my sons life to kids growing up in slums of Africa or Sth America but these kids are growing up in Liverpool & the likes where even a normal education can get you a job of sorts. If you are allowed to ditch school to kick a football around while the others are in School getting an education dont be surprised when you end up working for them. As Bill Gates once said, be kind to the nerds at school cause chances are you’ll be working g for them one day.

[Harv]

I apologise if in fact you were close to a professional contract with a top football club only to be rejected.

Apology accepted.

[Fosterbloke]

Apology accepted.

Wow I never knew you were a potential top tier football player.

It makes the lack of empathy even more surprising.

[Mr Pink]

Why do they "need a leg up"?? Because they failed at something?

This is what im getting at, why should a footballer get special treatment in any facet of life? Its absurd. Sure, they'd be extremely disappointed that they didnt "make it". But thats the case with literally any career. ****, i was gutted when i didnt get my dream job.

The problem is there’s nothing for them to fall back on- if your dream job is a doctor, and at 15/16 you are on track to maybe become one, but in the next few years you come up short, you will still more than likely land yourself a pretty good job- dentist, vet, etc. All the work you’ve done trying to become a doctor hasn’t gone to waste… but if at 15/16 you’re on track to become a professional footballer, and you come up just short- what should be your plan B for monetizing the elite skillset that you’ve dedicated so much time to acquire?

As you go on to say, the problem is they don’t have any proper education, as they’re putting all their eggs in the football basket. There should be a proper structure in place to make sure these young players are still getting their education. I have a lot of issues with the US education system, but it’s good for their athletes- there’s a big college sports scene, where players play before the NFL/NBA- and the ones who don’t make the cut still come away with a degree (even if they prob don’t actually attend many classes, but in principal it’s a good system)

In any case, I’m not sure why your taking issue with it- not like he’s using tax payers money for it, he’s trying to help people less fortunate than himself out, fair play to him.

[Harv]

Wow I never knew you were a potential top tier football player.

It makes the lack of empathy even more surprising.

I was pretty good. Scored a goal from the halfway line once.

In your hastiness to label me as unsympathetic Daily Mail reading cunt. You've missed my main point. I'll ask again. Why does being a failed footballer at youth level (at a top club at least - which doesn't mean your dreams of being a pro are crushed BTW) mean you need special treatment over any other kids from a similar background (if were going with the many footballers come from working-class, low-income and poorly educated areas argument)? A "leg up" as someone put it earlier.

Why? What's the distinction? Because they got so close to tasting big time success they cant go back to a life of normality?

You are acting like by being a failed football youth, you're now cast aside by society and are of no use to anyone whatsoever. Forever tarnished with the "failure" brush. Which is quite clearly bollocks.

[Harv]

The problem is there’s nothing for them to fall back on- if your dream job is a doctor, and at 15/16 you are on track to maybe become one, but in the next few years you come up short, you will still more than likely land yourself a pretty good job- dentist, vet, etc. All the work you’ve done trying to become a doctor hasn’t gone to waste… but if at 15/16 you’re on track to become a professional footballer, and you come up just short- what should be your plan B for monetizing the elite skillset that you’ve dedicated so much time to acquire?

As you go on to say, the problem is they don’t have any proper education, as they’re putting all their eggs in the football basket. There should be a proper structure in place to make sure these young players are still getting their education. I have a lot of issues with the US education system, but it’s good for their athletes- there’s a big college sports scene, where players play before the NFL/NBA- and the ones who don’t make the cut still come away with a degree (even if they prob don’t actually attend many classes, but in principal it’s a good system)

In any case, I’m not sure why your taking issue with it- not like he’s using tax payers money for it, he’s trying to help people less fortunate than himself out, fair play to him.

Theres plenty of things they can do. Whether they want to or not is another question. If they're kids (15-16), you have plenty of time to finish off your education and maybe get to uni if you want. Im not sure how the uni system works over there, but certainly here if you don't get the grades you need to get into the degree you want then there are other avenues. Thats the path I took actually.

Im not taking issue with what Trents trying to do per se, more the over the top language and why limit it to just kids that didn't make it as pro footballers?

[BG1973]

You already highlighted the distinction, the issue if kids go all in on footy and miss education.

The answer must be a combination of both. Preventive and corrective.

[Slinky Skills]

I was pretty good. Scored a goal from the halfway line once.



In your hastiness to label me as unsympathetic Daily Mail reading cunt. You've missed my main point. I'll ask again. Why does being a failed footballer at youth level (at a top club at least - which doesn't mean your dreams of being a pro are crushed BTW) mean you need special treatment over any other kids from a similar background (if were going with the many footballers come from working-class, low-income and poorly educated areas argument)? A "leg up" as someone put it earlier.



Why? What's the distinction? Because they got so close to tasting big time success they cant go back to a life of normality?



You are acting like by being a failed football youth, you're now cast aside by society and are of no use to anyone whatsoever. Forever tarnished with the "failure" brush. Which is quite clearly bollocks.

I'm in agreement with Harv I've got to be honest.