I've always said the pull of the SSFL is far greater than even the pull of the ProLeague and the national team. Over the weekend I heard some incredible nonsense that underlined how our youth (even the more talented ones) think....TRUE STORY!:
There's a 14 year old kid, close to 6 feet tall, strong, good technique, good at doing the basics, has a very high football IQ and runs hard all game. He was invited to the UK in October, for a 'trial for a trial' is how I can best describe it. A couple of UK Club coaches wanted to have a look at him to determine if he could be placed in an academy. The kid is also very academically intelligent. He's in form 5 and is being looked at as national scholarship material.
The kid's school isn't competing in the premier division of the SSFL this season. The kid isn't particularly concerned about his 'trial for a trial', or his academic potential. He literally said that if his school doesn't get promoted to the premier division of the SSFL next season, he will seek a transfer to a school that is in the premier division. That is his focus...
Youth is really wasted on the young......