Hello. I run a youth group and there’s this one 15yr old lad who is an exceptional footballer. He is a terrific character too and he lives and breathes football. I have no idea how to help him get a trial or whatever. He’s not my son, but I would love to encourage him, and the parents are fully supportive, without being pushy at all. I know that he’s had involvement with Fulham, and a Norwich trial. TBH I would just love Watford to have a look and I wondered whether it’s just a case of getting in touch with the likes of Jimmy Gilligan or RJ, or would someone here have better advice?
In the first instance pop an email off to: yourvoice@watfordfc.com But usually if he plays for a local team he'll get scouted.
If he is good enough, he'll be picked up. At 15 and not at an Academy or Sof E yet, the facts are he probably isn't at the required level. People watching Youth football generally think that every kid head and shoulders above other kids at their level mean they are good enough for pro clubs, whereas reality is each club takes on an average of 8 players at 16 y/o, at 90 odd clubs thats approx 700 kids every year, that means you need to be in the top 700 in the country and then maybe 20% of them will be offered something at 18. So being best in your group is normally still a million miles from the top 700 kids born in the same year as you. If good enough for a pro club, he would be playing County Level and they have scores of scouts at every game. Even top non league clubs have shaky setups until Under 18's, but prob thats the best solution, look to train with a club at Level 3 or better in the NL Pyramid and progress through them.
If he can slot in and help our defensive crisis - he's good enough. Probably show Rose and WTE up a bit mind.
Guys thank you for the input. I have since done a bit more research and got his CV ready to forward. As I said, I’m clueless about this kind of thing but there’s some people that you just want to help on their way. He’s one of them. I know it’s unlikely but hey, no harm in trying.
It’s based on a bit more than him playing for a tinpot youth club. Even by your standards, this is a spectacularly quick dismissal of a person’s talents.
Ignore the naysayers and do your best to make it happen. Perhaps he isn't good enough, but it's best to find that out through trying and failing than to fail by default through not even trying. That's a loser's mentality.
If you want your child to become a professional footballer, the last place you’d send him is to our youth setup.
I don’t know that it’s the last place I’d send him. But I think every kid needs to know it’s a place where false dawns can be commonplace.
