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If you truly want to become a professional footballer, you must learn from people who have walked the same path and achieved the goal you are aiming for. In the world of football – as in life – not everyone who gives advice is worth listening to. Your task is to separate the voices that build you up from those that only distract you.
NOT EVERYONE “KNOWS” EVEN IF THEY SPEAK
Many people are eager to comment on your development: a lower-league coach, a PE teacher, a friend from the neighborhood, or even family members. Their intentions might be good, but that’s not enough. If they haven’t walked the road to professional football, their knowledge is theoretical or superficial. They often don’t understand what it’s really like to fight for a contract, for minutes on the pitch, for a spot in the squad, or to live under pressure.
LISTEN TO PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE
If you want to reach the professional level, listen to those who:
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played in professional clubs,
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were in top-level academies,
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went through trials and earned contracts,
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coach players who made it,
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work as professional agents, mental coaches, fitness or technical coaches at the professional level.
They will show you what the path to professionalism really looks like – with its pressure, sacrifices, the fight for every opportunity, and constant improvement.
ASK QUESTIONS TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WHERE YOU WANT TO BE
If you have the chance to talk to someone who has been or still is a professional footballer, don’t waste it. Ask:
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What did their day look like when they were 15–17 years old?
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What did they do outside club training?
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What helped them the most, and what held them back?
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How did they handle people not believing in them?
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What decisions sped them up, and which ones slowed them down?
Inside their answers, you may find key insights for your own career.
AVOID “SOFA ADVISORS”
Don’t listen to people who:
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never trained professionally,
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never had contact with the professional environment,
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gave up themselves or never fought for their dreams,
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laugh at your ambitions.
Their advice often comes from frustration, not facts. They want you to play it safe, not take risks, to “be realistic.” But professional football is a path for those who think differently from the rest.
ROLE MODELS ARE A FOUNDATION
Observe top players – how they train, how they think, how they live. Even if you can’t meet them in person, you have access to biographies, interviews, and analyses of their playing styles. Pick one or two players who play your position and whose style inspires you. Study their movements, decisions, physical and mental preparation. Become a student of their success.
Remember: if you want to reach the top, don’t follow someone who has never been there. The role models you choose and the voices you follow can either accelerate your development or stop it. Learn from successful people, and you will increase your chances of becoming one of them.
If you want to become a professional – listen to professionals.
