Latest news with #academy
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Football academies and rejection: ‘They feel they wasted 20 years of their life'
The end of June is significant in British football, marking the closing of a season and so the end of many players' contracts. All 92 clubs across England's top four divisions file their retained and released player lists with either the English Football League or the Premier League, a process that sees a typical top-flight team releasing more than a dozen players — many of whom have never played senior football. Advertisement Each year, hundreds of players — predominantly, but not exclusively, young adults — drop out of the professional game. Many others earn a contract elsewhere, often dropping down several divisions to do so, but this is regularly the start of a descent out of the sport. Fewer than one per cent of academy players ever get a single minute of first-team football. Here, The Athletic looks at what happens to the 99 per cent who do not 'make it', and how they are treated by the industry. Around 1.5million children play organised youth football in England, but only around 180 of them — 0.012 per cent — will realise their dreams of signing a professional contract with a Premier League club. An academy will typically start at under-nine level and by 16 — when players are eligible to receive two-year scholarships — around half of all players will drop out of the system. Of those remaining, just one in six will play the game professionally by the age of 21. Only one of every 200 players who enter the academy system will have a career in football. Those numbers paint a broad picture but ignore myriad personal stories and struggles. Johnny Gorman, who made a single Premier League appearance for Wolverhampton Wanderers (as an 89th-minute substitute) in 2012 and featured nine times for Northern Ireland's national team around then, is now a trainee clinical psychologist trying to raise awareness of the significant struggles of those dropping out of the game. In October, Gorman published Inside the Football Factory: Young Players' Reflections on 'Being Released', a research paper which shares the journeys of eight youngsters who went through English football's academy system. It found that, after getting released by their club, some players go through identity crises and experience difficulty transitioning to new careers. Psychological distress, including increased risk of addiction and mental health problems, is common. Many struggle to watch football post-release, as it renews their sense of rejection and failure. Advertisement 'Academy players are always told the same things: 'You are doing well', 'Focus on football', 'Keep working hard and forget everything else',' Gorman tells The Athletic. 'There is a massive carrot of stardom dangled in front of you. But at some stage, there is an inevitable bottleneck in the system. There are too many players and not enough opportunities.' Before joining Wolves, Gorman spent six years in Manchester United's youth system between 2003-09, alongside players including Jesse Lingard, Ravel Morrison, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Larnell Cole, Will Keane and Michael Keane. Though they all went on to play first-team football for various clubs, Gorman says the odds are stacked against young players making the grade. A notable exception is Marcus Rashford, who made his United senior debut as an 18-year-old in February 2016, at a time when no fit senior forwards were available to manager Louis van Gaal. Rashford scored twice that night against FC Midtjylland of Denmark in the Europa League and another two goals against Arsenal four days later, becoming a first-team regular. 'That moment was everything in defining his path,' Gorman says. 'Most players do not get that opportunity. Managers are under short-term pressure; it is natural to not risk inexperienced players, unless they are clearly outstanding, as they won't see the long-term benefits.' In 2010-11, Gorman was named Wolves' Academy Player of the Year, having already won nine caps for Northern Ireland's senior team. The winger made just one first-team appearance for Wolves as a late replacement away to Norwich City in March 2012 and did not play again at international level. 'The jump to first-team football is huge, not just in physicality but psychologically,' he says. 'You are left to fend for yourself, it is sink-or-swim. Some people have personalities more suited to that environment than others. If you are shy or introverted, it is more difficult. There are lots of intangibles.' Following that sole first-team appearance for Wolves, Gorman had loan spells at Plymouth Argyle in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and non-League sides Macclesfield Town and Cambridge United the next season. After leaving Wolves permanently in summer 2013, he spent one season at Leyton Orient, in League One, before dropping out of the EFL permanently aged 21. Gorman spent the remainder of his career lower down the football pyramid, before retiring at 29 years old. Advertisement His research draws on his own experience and that of many of his contemporaries inspired his work in sports psychology. 'When a footballer is released from their academy club, they become disillusioned, their motivation drops, they become resentful and feel like they have wasted 20 years of their life,' says Gorman. 'They feel like failures.' Gorman's research details how academy footballers are conditioned by their sporting identity. 'You become 'Johnny the footballer'; you are no longer your own unique personality, but you are associated by that role,' he says. 'Football is so glamorous, it is normal for youngsters to associate with an identity that brings attention, status and adulation.' But once those players drop out of professional football, Gorman says, they no longer know who they are. 'Everyone in early adulthood is already in a vulnerable period,' he says. 'There are established links between being released and subsequent serious mental health issues. Players need help transitioning outside the football bubble.' All the participants in Gorman's study took between two and three years to establish a normal, civilian life after leaving football. 'A universal theme was the disorientation,' he says. 'We called this 'the period of bewilderment'.' The importance of player after-care is now being acknowledged. In 2022, Premier League club Crystal Palace announced an enhanced programme for former youngsters, then aged 18-23, they had previously released, with a dedicated player-care officer helping them find a new club, an education programme or a job. Gorman says these are 'well-meaning gestures' that may have a positive impact, but points out that: 'The players are carrying a lot of resentment, and the club is the source of it,' he says. 'It would make a lot more sense if this was done by an external organisation which all clubs in certain divisions or associations could buy into.' Advertisement He argues the industry creates personalities solely based on sport and is not proactive in building broad character traits or promoting other interests which players can fall back on when they reach the bottleneck of opportunities. 'Some players are conditioned to believe a Plan B detracts from the Plan A,' Gorman says. 'But this thinking can also be influenced by parents. They are the first point of care for their children. Parents are the adults in the room, but they can develop tunnel vision. I was fortunate that my parents always encouraged me to continue with education and varied interests, but many players don't have that.' Gorman's research has led to a realisation about his own career. He reflects on his release by Orient — his last professional club — at the end of the 2013-14 season, and the sense of disappointment he felt. 'Now I realise I was actually relieved,' says the now 32-year-old, who was born in the Yorkshire city of Sheffield and was briefly with Manchester City before joining neighbours United. 'I was in London by myself. I was isolated. I was conditioned to want to stay, but, in my heart, I wanted to escape the environment and be with my friends and family again. I did not want that pressure anymore, I just wanted to enjoy football again.' This admission was a common theme raised by players in Gorman's research: 'A lot of players didn't enjoy the environment and the pressures; the competitive team-mates, overly demanding coaches, the cut-throat environment from fans, being in the public eye.' This, Gorman says, was a result of the football bubble making players feel trapped. 'They feel there is no escape for them because they have no other career options. That is not a healthy environment,' he says. Each year, hundreds of young players must manage that potentially crushing sense of rejection, feelings of embarrassment, being lost, isolated and damaged. Many clubs do now have processes in place to support players, but the effects can nevertheless be devastating. In October 2020, Jeremy Wisten, a teenage former Manchester City academy player, died by suicide. Four months later, 20-year-old Matthew Langton took his own life, having dropped out of football after being released by Derby County and later Mansfield Town. At the 2013 inquest into the death of Josh Lyons, a former Tottenham Hotspur youth-team player, the coroner, Dr Karen Henderson, criticised the game for not doing more to support young footballers dealing with being released. 'It is very difficult to build up the hopes of a young man only then to have them dashed at a young age,' she said. 'It is very cruel. I find there was an absence and lack of support in football.' Advertisement Lyons was released from Tottenham's youth system at age 16 and fell into depression before dying by suicide 10 years later. This leads to questions for football institutionally, and how the sport must do more, not only with greater support after players are released but also pre-care within club academy structures. But clubs and leagues insist there are already support networks in place to deal with the fallout from academy rejection. Speaking to The Athletic earlier this month, Neil Saunders, the Premier League's director of football, outlined its elite player performance plan (EPPP), which has been in place since 2012. 'There's probably been an external perception that, 'Academies are great for those players that go through and play in the first teams, but what about the sacrifices that other boys make?' We've always promoted holistic development,' Saunders said. While the EPPP's primary function is player development and performance, its aims include benefiting those who would not become professional footballers, with a variety of care schemes implemented with a focus on education. Saunders spoke of how this has improved under the plan: 'Young players are now achieving above the national average in GCSEs (exams UK schoolchildren sit around age 16, equivalent to a U.S. high-school diploma), and we have more players going on to do A-Levels than ever before. We're working with universities to provide scholarships.' Indeed, Premier League and EFL academies have been awarded a rating of 'outstanding' by Ofsted, the body that inspects UK educational institutions, after assessing their provisions for apprentices. A Football Association (FA) spokesperson told The Athletic: 'The professional leagues and their clubs are primarily responsible for the development and well-being of players who are active in the elite academy system, and bespoke regulations are employed throughout. Advertisement 'They also work alongside the PFA (Professional Footballers' Association — effectively the trade union for players in England) to provide a wide variety of support services to both scholars and former youth players who are no longer involved in the game. We continue to work closely with all of these stakeholders to ensure that the highest possible standards are upheld, and the welfare of current and former players is prioritised.' A career in football should always be the aspiration, yet Gorman emphasises the importance of also nurturing young adults to have a wide range of interests and career opportunities. 'Players will always fall out of the system, as supply outstrips demand,' he says. 'What we should do is soften that fall, to normalise and rationalise it, to prepare players for that probability. They are being promised the world but that is not sustainable or realistic. 'Nobody wants to stop players from dreaming, but football needs to change its treatment of youngsters.' If you would like to talk to someone having read this article, please try Samaritans in the UK or U.S. You can call 116 123 for free from any phone.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Swindon Town appoint new under-18s manager
Swindon Town Football Club has appointed Kirk McGinn as the new lead professional development phase coach and under-18s manager. Mr McGinn's appointment came after a successful application process. Advertisement He has been a key part of the club's academy coaching setup in recent years and is now taking up a more significant role within the club. Read more: Meet the local young carer and rising snooker star His new role entails overseeing the crucial professional development phase, providing guidance to the club's young talents as they transition from academy football to the professional ranks. At the same time, as the under-18s manager, he will lead his team into the forthcoming season, focusing on player development, team cohesion, and competitive performance. His appointment has been strongly endorsed by Swindon Town's academy manager Mark Moss. Advertisement Mr Moss said: "Kirk has demonstrated exceptional commitment and coaching quality throughout his time with us. "His knowledge of our academy pathway, combined with his strong relationships with players and staff, make him ideally suited to this important role. "We're excited to see the continued growth of our young players under his guidance." Mr McGinn himself is enthusiastic about the new challenge. He said: "It's a privilege to take on this position at a club I know so well. "I'm passionate about helping young players maximise their potential, both on and off the pitch, and I look forward to building on the great work already in place within the academy. Advertisement "I'm grateful for the opportunity and eager to get started with the new group." With the new season fast approaching, Mr McGinn's main focus will be on preparing the under-18s squad for a successful campaign. He will also continue nurturing a development environment that aligns with the club's overall philosophy. The club has expressed its satisfaction with Mr McGinn's appointment, congratulating him on this well-earned role. They are looking forward to the positive impact he will bring in his expanded capacity. Mr McGinn's appointment is seen as a natural progression in his coaching journey, reflecting his remarkable work and dedication within the club's youth development framework. Advertisement Read more: The "next Charlie Austin" spotted along with other unknown trialists in school photo His deep understanding of the club's values and long-term vision, along with his wealth of experience, make him a fitting choice for this role. As the lead professional development phase coach and under-18s manager, Mr McGinn's input will be crucial in shaping the future generation of Swindon Town Football Club. His efforts will significantly contribute to the club's objective of grooming young players to become successful professionals.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Northampton defender Dyche signs new two-year deal
Northampton Town's Max Dyche has agreed a new two-year contract with the League One club until 22-year-old academy graduate made his senior debut for the club in 2020 and has played 53 times for the has had loan spells with Kettering, Aldershot and at Woking, where he spent the first half of last season before returning to Sixfields, making 20 appearances for Town."I take particular pride in academy players coming through to the first team, and Max had a good run of games in the second half of last season," Northampton boss Kevin Nolan told the club website., external"He stepped up and played his part when we needed him last season, and we're pleased to secure his future with us."We are looking for a balance and a blend in the squad between youth and experience, and we see Max as one of a talented group of younger players we have."
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why more young Chinese have military academies in their sights
Advertisement The defence ministry's announcement last month that three new military academies would start recruiting high school graduates from this summer has been viewed more than 8 million times on social media platform Weibo. Many users said they were excited to have the opportunity to serve their country. The new academies are the People's Liberation Army Ground Force Service Academy in Hefei, Anhui province; the PLA Information Support Force Engineering University in Wuhan, Hubei; and the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force Engineering University in Chongqing. But recruitment will not be expanded – the total number of new recruits will be 'basically the same' as last year, the ministry said, without elaborating. The new academies have incorporated some units from existing military schools. Those mergers are part of a restructure of the military education system in recent years, which the ministry said was being done to create a 'more efficient and higher quality' system for nurturing talent and to achieve what it called a 'core need for war preparation'. The ministry has also scrapped the requirement for military academy students to have three years of work experience before they can become commanders. From this year, students can sit postgraduate entrance exams to follow this career path immediately after they graduate from a military academy.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Gunners ‘linked with SHOCK Madueke move', Zubimendi deal imminent, Yildiz emerges as target
More on Lewis-Skelly Arsenal ace Myles Lewis-Skelly is set to pen a new deal with his beloved club he has served since the age of nine in the academy. According to Goal, Lewis-Skelly has agreed a new long-term contract at the Emirates and an official announcement is expected soon. And according to The Athletic, the full-back's new deal will include a hefty salary increase. And that will make the 18-year-old one of best-paid youngsters in the world.
