PLAYING AWAY FROM HOME ✈️

Something that has come into fashion, and grown in popularity over the past 10 years, is that of a young player travelling abroad to play their football. Beautiful parts of the world such as Scandinavia, Spain, USA…Australia! There is a plethora of opportunities out there for anyone.⁣
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This topic was recommended by a foreign keeper who is currently searching for a club in the UK. He is going through the same trials and tribulations that many UK GK’s will face when going abroad…𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧. Often, players who go abroad to play football, don’t have the responsibilities back home that older players may do. 𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. I would tell ANY young player coming out of the Youth Team System; Go and experience the world and become your own person away from the shelter of your parents. It will grow you as an individual, no doubt about it.⁣
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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.