HOW TO GET OUT THERE
If you are a Scholar coming out of an EFL club, speak to the LFE about the Erasmus+ Programme. They will help place you at a club in Spain or Sweden and begin your journey. Not to mention the companies that can help secure you a Scholarship in the USA. Go and live the dream that you have watched on movies growing up, using the best facilities and play in front of THOUSANDS at college games.
MY OWN EXPERIENCE
My own experience presented itself when I was 19. 1 year out of my Scholarship at Fleetwood Town FC, I signed up for the Erasmus+ and was on my way out to Ange IF, in Division II Norrland, a part time league, 3 leagues below the Allsvenskan. A remote village around an hour from the nearest city, we were well and truly in the sticks. There was a couple of other English lads there so settling in wasn’t a problem.
I loved my time there, and should have stayed out there, however my ego got the better of me, as I didn’t want to drop leagues over there. But in hindsight, I was just a naïve kid who as aforementioned, wasn’t known over there. I should have took the help and began to ply my trade there. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭!
My message to young players.
Do it. Take yourself out of your comfort zone. You won’t regret it.
It is important to recognise that it can be a very lonely/frustrating place in this period of your career, so please do not feel that you cannot reach out to others. At the bottom of this blog, is the 24/7 helpline for The PFA.
𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐎𝐍-𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄
If you are/have been at a professional club, you may experience a Youth Loan, to a club that is commonly at step 3-4. This can really open your eyes to the world of non-league, and proactively help you in your progression, away from the non-competitive environment that youth team games can bring.
My personal Youth Loan, was being sent out to Evo-Stik Side, Droyslden FC. At the time, they had conceded well over 200 goals, and were rock bottom of the league, 0 points to their name by February time. Low and behold, my 2nd game for them was away against the high flying Chorley FC side, of which by 4:45pm, I had conceded 13 and was mentally gone. Talk about opening your eyes to Non-League, and the HUGE difference in competitive league football. I’d never had the feeling of being intimidated by fans, but it taught me the meaning of being a boy in a men’s game.
Not everyone’s first non-league experience will go as badly as that, and each will take something different from it. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨…𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘓 / 𝘌𝘍𝘓…𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩.
As much as a bad day that was for me, it was experience that I needed at the time, and that I am actually thankful for now, as I can look back and see that it was a huge factor in my footballing education, and that I was in fact paying my dues, for further down the line.
Fast forward 5 years, and July 4th, I was a play-off winner. That’s for another blog though...
07500 000 777 - PFA Helpline
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You are only a training session away from re-gaining your form. You are only a save away.