...to think being a Premiership Footballler is one of the best jobs in the world?

[Piknik]

Men's Premier League specifically.

Ridiculous pay
Comraderie and strong bonds and friendships formed with team mates
Superb fitness levels
Access to best medical/mental health teams
Travel in style/stay in amazing hotels
See the world
Opportunity to be a role model for younger generations
Early retirement and the funds to do have a complete second career doing something meaningful and fulfilling

I know it's the job that kids aspire to, but I'm a middle aged woman and I really fancy it... Can't think of a better job to be honest!

Weirdly, DH and I were having a similar conversation recently. But I said that I'd want to be a premiership football team manager. Get myself a nice 5 year contract, paying me hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, I'd do a shit job because I know nothing about football and they'd sack me, but I'd still get the money as if I'd been there 5 years! I'd be set for life!

Constant threat of a career ruining injury, low education levels due to focus on football so few other options, constant media interest, harassment of your partner and children online, stress of playing badly and being dropped, vitriol from opposing fans - I think it sounds pretty awful really…

Yes, people think of the money but there must be a huge amount of stress that comes with all of the scrutiny.

On the other hand, your job would last until you were 32 at best, you'd never be able to celebrate Xmas with your family, because you'd have a game on boxing day, your diet would be restricted and your club may fine you if you break their diet rules. You'd never, ever be allowed to say what you really felt in public, only what the club deemed acceptable for you to say.

even if you had to work alongside the biggest arsehole in the world you'd have to keep quiet about it.

and all this would be part of your life from being as young as seven.

and even at that age, you'd have to accept that a club could and will chuck you out if they don't think you are good enough.

not something I'd like to have experienced.

but I agree, the dream of suddenly manifesting as a Prem Footballer, without having had to put in the work to get there, sounds pretty amazing.

I fancy golf caddy.

carry a bag.
look pensive
earn a fortune without needing to actually be able to play the sport

For me it would be there was always another player who was younger, fitter, or luckier ready to take my spot.
But I guess the huge salary might mean even a couple of weeks at the top might be enough.

no bloody way could I coach or manage. So stressful!

I’d go for Drummer in Coldplay (or similar)

Travel, money, influence, rockstar vibes but still able to walk down the street without being hassled!

Nah my dream career was being a pop singer. One day a record label scout will be walking around sunny Macclesfield or somewhere and they’ll hear me ordering at the chippy and they’ll just know I’ve got the voice to give Adele a run for her money. Then it’s all sparkly outfits, hair extensions, choreography and bumming around on Saturday night chat shows next to Jonathan Ross and Kermit the Frog. While being paid so much that my manager can embezzle millions and still leave me enough for the legal fees to get my rights back if the label get bought out by people who really hate kittens.
…I’ll get back to lesson planning now. 🤣

About 10 years ago, I was making conversation with a mum I'd just met, during a work do. Typical conversation, how old are your kids, what are they studying, what would they like to do...

She told me her son was big into football...I couldn't help smiling internally thinking...don't they all, don't they all...

He is now on the English National Team, big big name 🤣🤣🤣

Don't ask who, I won't divulge!

Well yes Captain obvious.

I've actually thought this! Coldplay are HUGE & very wealthy but other than Chris Martin I wouldn't be able to pick the others out of a line up. They've got the right idea.

I think premiership footballers are paid too much but they do usually have to give everything from a young age. I know a few young lads who have been through various football academy's over the years & they've spent their childhood travelling, playing, training etc & have missed out on so much of a 'normal childhood'. They are currently being released due to injury, not being good enough etc & it's a real worry as to how they will cope as they've been used to a very busy & structured set up from a young age & the academy's don't do enough to support them in my opinion.

My dream job would be Vice Chancellor of a major university. They earn fabulous salaries. At the University of Oxford, total pay packages for the VC can reach over £600,000 to £1 million. These salaries remain a massive point of contention—especially when universities are dealing with cuts, redundancies, and industrial action over staff. In fact such individuals have rare management skills capable of running complex international organizations. VCs spend a significant portion of their time lobbying government officials, forming international partnerships with other institutions, and acting as the public face of the university in the media.

Nah, I wouldn't take that, over a 9-5 where I can WFH as much as I like, weekends off and pick my holidays. I can't imagine anything worse than being a professional sports person.

Being stuck together for long hours with your team, even if you hate them. Endless hotel rooms, flights, and buses. Pressure, where doing your best just isn't always enough to get good results.

Having to move every few years, to whichever club offers most money, regardless of what your family think. Antisocial hours. No thanks!

Yeah but that’s just until you are 30 - 35 tops. And you know it.
All that flexibility is easy as a 20 year old especially if you know you’ll be minted at the end.

💯 this. And the now year round pressure to be playing. Very little time off. Huge amounts of travel. Risk of being your “true self” in a macho culture. Being too young to know yourself and how to manage all the expectations and media attention. Having every moment of your life, your food, your sleep, tracked and planned by your agent. Not being able to speak freely because of your sponsors or club owners.

Couldn’t pay me to have that lifestyle. it’s not the dream job, it’s a gilded cage.

Have you considered WAG?

About 20 years ago I had a friend who had the best job in the world. We were in our late 20s at the time.

He fixed computer systems on super yachts. His life basically consisted of flying out to somewhere gorgeous like Monaco, spending 45 minutes diagnosing the problem, then waiting 3 days in a nice hotel with a generous allowance for the replacement part to be flown out to him, at which point he'd fly to the next place.

He spent about 4 months a year at home, in dribs and drabs, and was minted by the time he quit at 33 to start a family.

Football career ending but not career ending. They can just go on to do something else. They'll also have huge insurance pay outs if a career ends due to injury so they'll be set up for life financially too.

Low education is bollox. That's a choice thing. They have so much free time that the ones with intelligence will often use it to study.

The rest is true though, there's a lot of moronic football fans around.

I had a friend who was a biotechnologist. She worked in a cake factory looking at ways you can convert making cake in a kitchen to making it on a factory line.

She got as much free cake as she wanted!

low education levels due to focus on football

My nephew was in a (premiership team) academy and they had a rigorous focus on education. You had to study and hit academic targets or you were out. He got a career ending injury at 16 but was able to get a degree in finance because the academy made sure he had a plan B.

I’d agree.

There are downsides of course - huge amount of travel, away from your family. But the financial rewards are obviously enormous, even for your bog standard, run of the mill players.

Its also hugely competitive. So many young players are cast aside and never make it.

There's a brilliant true story of a Brazilian footballer...well he wasn't actually any good as a footballer. But he wanted to be one so he had a friend write some false stories in a paper as he he'd been playing abroad. He got signed, but was injured in training. He became mates with good players so when he was released without ever played they'd talk their manager into signing him...but oh he got injured.
He lived the life for years and never played. Eventually someone worked it out...after he'd been a pundit for years after "retiring"

Honest to god it's a true story...that's the players want to be

F1 driver - live in Monaco, travel the world. The downside is not being at home much.

Google Clarke Carlisle if you aren't familiar with him. A gifted player, 'Britain's smartest footballer', lovely family, liked by fans but still ended up at the very lowest ebb.