Nowadays, most new professional players are almost born and raised at the club they play for. The youth leagues and the academies of Premier League clubs are so important in the discovery and the development of new players, as it can lead to the discovery of massive talents, which can be integrated to the club’s first team. This is a much cheaper option than buying players, as the market has blown through the roof lately.
These academies are very competitive though. Making it through the hole in the needle is a tough job, as standing out as a young player is difficult, when so many other players share their dream of becoming a professional football player.
As a result of this, a lot of players are sorted out, and don’t make it through to the first team. Some people keep trying and working hard, while others make the difficult choice of giving up on their dream, to start an education or get a job.
Some still make it although it happens late in their career. This article is dedicated to two of those who achieved first team debuts and much more in the Premier League.
Jamie Vardy
Vardy has perhaps one of the most famous stories of a late debut to professional football. Vardy was, until he was 25, only playing for fun. He was also on the sidelines and watching football. He might very well be the type of person that would bet on a game. Today you can place a bet on him scoring and winning with his team Leicester City in the Premier League, where he has played for 11 years and counting. Take a look at Betnaija.ng if this sounds like something for you.
Vardy was released as a youth player from Sheffield Wednesday, when he was 16 years old. He then went on to play for several different clubs, climbing very slowly in the ranks, while steadily producing better and better results. He was signed by Leicester City in 2012, for what was back then a record fee for the Championship League at £1 million. He helped Leicester get promoted to the Premier League, and then went on to being a massive part of the team that won the Premier League in the 2015/2016 season. Jamie Vardy made his Premier League debut when he was 27.
Ian Wright
Ian Wright was a forward who played for Arsenal from 1991 to 1999. During this time, he scored 185 goals, which puts him as the player with the second most goals for Arsenal, next to Thierry Henry with 228. Wright was 22 when he signed for Crystal Palace, who sold him to Arsenal a year later for a back-then record fee of £2,5 million. He won plenty of titles at Arsenal and had a very successful career.
The reason that it took Ian Wright so long to start focusing on his football, was his rough childhood. He didn’t get the support that one might hope to get from his parents, which hindered him from playing. It wasn’t until he almost had no other option than to play football, that he went all in on it. And what a way to do it.
