He could have played for...

[PrivateDerby]

How many lads do you know that we're **** hot playing football growing up that were either never spotted or never tried?

I know one lad from Bentilee that never played again after we left school, was a strong Shearer type player that used to leave everyone including the goalie standing still. Ended up plastering and playing pool in the pub.

Watched a community game the other day in Elephant and Castle, one lad really stood out, big lanky black boy about 14. Everyone was saying he's never played for a team and is a known gang member.

I'm no scout but do good players get missed these days? With the money in football I'd have thought there's always someone watching?

[ossieram]

Plenty have been missed over the years.

I know of one player who was a very good player at local level in the 80's who would not have looked out of place in the pro ranks.

He had skill,Pace and i saw him score some cracking goals, One from near the halfway line in a final at moorways.

You have to wonder how good players like him could have been with professional coaching instead of half a dozen pints after a Sunday game.

[i-Ram]

How many lads do you know that we're **** hot playing football growing up that were either never spotted or never tried?

I know one lad from Bentilee that never played again after we left school, was a strong Shearer type player that used to leave everyone including the goalie standing still. Ended up plastering and playing pool in the pub.

He clearly made playing pool a bit difficult for himself. Perhaps he also found it tricky playing adult football carrying a set of ladders around with him?

[Boycie]

I dunno, but I was playing footie with Kevin Coopers dad the other weekend.

Anyway, as you were.

[Bris Vegas]

Lewis McGugan.

 

Was a friend during school and we played football alot as youngsters. He was playing for the England U17s as a 14-year-old and he was going off on trips around Europe representing the youth national teams.

 

The simple problem he had was he's a typical English footballer. Good shot, as a 14-year-old he was an athlete and so strong, big, powerful, had lots of dribbling skills etc. for his age but he lacked the basic pass, move, one-touch, vision, quick, light feet and most of all football intelligence.

 

He eptomised what English youth football is all about and he simply got overtaken by any neat footballer the time others caught up (body development wise).

 

As 14-year-olds Lewis McGugan was far better than Will Hughes. As soon as Hughes became physically more able he just overtook him and beyond.

 

Still we thought he'd go on to become a big PL player and even an England international. Fact is he'll probably only ever play in the Championship given he's now 25 and not even Watford's key player.

 

Makes me realise how good players like Gareth Barry are. Everyone hates him for being a boring footballer etc. but it's easy to see how intelligent (footballing wise) he is.

[Tombo]

It's an interesting thing really because you sometimes spot decently talented footballers and wonder what would have happened if they were picked up from the beginning. Like, spotted age 7 and picked up by a top youth academy. What could they have done with the natural talent.

 

I knew one lad that was in (I think) Rotherham's academy, but I think he never made it through the system. I later heard he was offered trials at Notts County and Chesterfield but was too disheartened to take them. He was gutted to not have made it at Rotherham and lost his confidence.

 

Saw him playing for the school team a few times though and he was absolute quality with the ball at his feet. Effortless dribbling skill. But the rest of his game was nothing to shout about really. Made me look like a mug plenty of times in PE lessons as well.

 

It's hard to say without seeing him in a game with other nationwide talents his own age, but I'm thinking someone missed a trick with him. Maybe he wouldn't have been in the top two leagues, but if he'd persued football, he could have been someone in maybe League One or Two. He could have earned a decent living anyway.

[RamNut]

I dunno, but I was playing footsie with Kevin Coopers dad the other weekend.

Anyway, as you were.

Ftfy

Another tranny :-)

[Phoenix]

A schoolmate of mine was spotted, and was on Man City's books, playing for the colts and 2nd XI when he was 18. Admittedly, this was in another era (1950's). He was head and shoulders above all local schoolboys for skill and vision.

 

He jacked it in to do an apprenticeship at a well-known local company, and became an ever-present member of his local team, Buxton, who were comparatively successful in the late 50's to late 60's. The guy is still a legend there.

 

I often wonder what he could have achieved if he'd stuck with Man City.

[Monkeytennis12345]

The Flagman, himself ! Nick Webster, of all people !

Played with him at 5-a-side for bmiBaby FC. The ball used to stick to him ! Wasted talent there, Mr Webster. 

[Lord_Ram]

The simple problem he had was he's a typical English footballer. Good shot, as a 14-year-old he was an athlete and so strong, big, powerful, had lots of dribbling skills etc. for his age but he lacked the basic pass, move, one-touch, vision, quick, light feet and most of all football intelligence.

 

I think youve highlighted the problem with english football. so many of my old classmates were brilliant footballers, but when i think about it, there nothing but good dribblers and technical ability, and this is what we lack in england, looking at raw talent and ability with the ball weve got to be one of the best in the world, but our footballing brains are atrocious, which is what makes will hughes so special

[Karl Jackson]

i used no knock about round the streets of Nottingham with a mate called Paul Raynor, who went on to play for preston and Cambridge United, managed a few teams too, Boston might have been one of them of Assistant Manager or something like that.

 

It always baffled me why he always seemed to be a fringe player with his clubs as wherenever i went to watch him play he always had a good game and could pass the ball on a sixpence from one side of the pitch to the other, and took a great in-swinging corner too.

[observer]

a lad at my school got offered trials at a few places never went because it meant him getting up early honest