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It’s not about talent, or natural ability. Becoming a professional footballer is all about how hard you work and the choices that you make during your career. It’s also about who you know! If there are people in your life with connections – like coaches, scouts, agents- then use them to get ahead of the competition. Because it takes more than just skill to become a professional football player these days; it takes drive and determination too!

What qualifications do you need to be a professional footballer?

To play professionally, the most important qualification is that you’re good enough. All players who want to earn money from football can’t be considered for playing in any league or team without meeting all the requirements set out by the individual teams. That means an ability to read and write English well, as well as being able to speak comfortably on behalf of yourself and your teammates. 

The rules vary among countries but they usually involve having no criminal record either in England or abroad, no history of drug or casino abuse (such as no deposit free spins) and medical certificates confirming that there are no conditions preventing you from working.

What are the chances of becoming a professional football player?

Your chances of becoming a professional footballer depend on many different factors. Where you live, the team that you play for, and if you have any sort of connection to a coach or scout all have an effect on your chances. At the end of the day, it is up to you to put in the hard work and dedication necessary to become a professional footballer.

Top tips for becoming a professional footballer Be willing to relocate for the right opportunity: Moving to a new town or country can be difficult, but it is sometimes necessary to give yourself the best possible chance of success. Get as much experience as you can: The more matches and training sessions you play in then the better your chance of being noticed by scouts and coaches. Play well with others: Competition for places is tough at professional clubs so if you want to get noticed than demonstrating your ability and willingness to work hard for your teammates is important too. Learn English: With so many foreign players in the Premier League, it’s crucial that young players understand English so they can speak confidently with their coaches and teammates. Have a back-up plan: All footballers get injured sometimes; if you’re lucky, it will be a minor injury and you’ll only miss a few games. But what about times when injuries can end your career? If that happens then having a solid education could save you from financial hardship in the future. Take up an active hobby: Given how much time football players spend on the field practicing, clubs prefer to sign those who have healthy interests such as horse riding or outdoor sports to help them recover from injury and maintain good mental health. Be coachable: When young players reach professional level, they often find themselves working under managers and coaches with decades of experience playing the game at the highest level. Sometimes younger players don’t feel confident in challenging a coach or manager’s decisions during a match. However, if you demonstrate faith in your colleagues and authority figures then they’ll be more likely to take you seriously on the pitch too. Develop good personal habits: Eating well, getting enough sleep each night and keeping healthy are all important factors in ensuring that players stay motivated and achieve their best performance levels on the football pitch. If you’re not taking care of yourself properly then it will be harder for coaches to trust you with a place in the team. Watch matches closely: Sometimes when watching a football match it can be easy to get caught up in what is happening elsewhere on the field rather than concentrating on your own role within the game. Keeping an eye on what other players are doing lets you learn from their good and bad play. Don’t give up: If you truly want to become a professional footballer then make sure that nothing gets in the way of achieving your dreams. Bad luck, injuries and lack of opportunities can all put talented players off going for their dream, but if that’s what you really want then persistence is key! Moving to a new town or country can be difficult, but it is sometimes necessary to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

The more matches and training sessions you play in then the better your chance of being noticed by scouts and coaches.

Having faith in your colleagues and authority figures then they’ll be more likely to take you seriously on the pitch too.

If you truly want to become a professional footballer then make sure that nothing gets in the way of achieving your dreams.

Conclusion

It’s not impossible to become a professional football player, but it is difficult. You need to be willing and able to relocate in order for your skillset to reach its full potential. It will also take time, effort, and dedication on your part.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Manchester United centre-forward Anthony Martial…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has issued a key claim on the situation, providing some hope that a deal can be done this month.

He tweeted: “Re Anthony Martial & NUFC… Man Utd say reluctant to let players go (for now) because of Covid, but I’m told Newcastle are monitoring situation. Martial perhaps wasn’t type high on list pre January, but Wilson injury has changed thinking & increased urgency. One to watch.”

Fans will be excited

Newcastle fans will surely be excited with this update for multiple reasons. Firstly. it shows that PIF are not willing to take a gamble with Wilson by simply waiting for him to return from his lengthy injury. He is the club’s top scorer and losing his quality for any period of time is a huge blow for the Magpies, which is why fans will be buzzing with any attempts to bring in a new striker.

Wilson has scored six Premier League goals this season and Allan Saint-Maximin (four) is the only other player at the club with more than one to his name in 2021/22. This shows the worrying lack of quality at the top end of the pitch when it comes to taking chances, so the prospective signing of Martial could excite the Toon Army.

The Frenchman is a proven scorer in the English top flight and could come in to score the goals to help Newcastle avoid relegation to the Championship. He has found the back of the net 56 times for Manchester United in the Premier League, with four seasons of scoring nine or more goals in the division. In 268 games for the Red Devils in all competitions, he has netted 79 goals and provided 50 assists, showing that he can certainly make an impact in the final third.

This suggests that Martial could come in and be the focal point up top for the Magpies whilst Wilson is sidelined, before potentially partnering the 29-year-old upon his return. Newcastle fans could get excited by this prospect given the pair’s respective goalscoring records, as they could form a lethal partnership to provide match-winning quantities of goals in the team’s battle to avoid Premier League relegation.

It is now over to Nick Hammond and Eddie Howe to ensure that they can get a deal over the line for the French attacker before the end of the month…

AND in other news, Bid made: David Ornstein drops exciting Newcastle transfer claim which will delight Eddie Howe…

The summer departure of Wolves captain Conor Coady would come as a huge surprise according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The 29-year-old centre-back has been at Wolves since July 2015 and has clocked up 311 appearances for the Old Gold during that time.

Though to the shock of supporters around the world, Coady has been linked with a move away from Molineux.

What’s the word?

£22.5m-rated skipper Coady has been placed in contention to leave the club this summer, having been one of their key-men for the past seven seasons.

Tottenham Hotspur’s appointment of former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo last summer saw Spurs hold talks with the England defender but the move didn’t materialise and he stayed put.

This summer however, it is reported that Everton are plotting a surprise move for the former Liverpool youth player, which has raised doubts over the England international’s future.

Though it seems positive for Wolves fans, with football insider Jones admitting that he would be shocked if Coady left the Old Gold for the Toffees.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said:

“He’s the guy that has held them up and got them through tough moments on and off the pitch, he’s so valuable to them, so I would be absolutely amazed if they even consider selling him in the summer.”

Supporters worried

If the centre-back stays in the Midlands this summer it’s safe to say it would leave their adoring fans buzzing. However, given that he is a pillar of solidity, reliability and strength at the heart of Wolves’ backline, supporters will have to be worried that he could leave the club this summer.

You can understand why Everton are casting their eyes on Coady, with the Toffees enduring a torrid season at the back, having averaged a total of 1.7 goals conceded per match.

Though it would not make much sense from the Wolves captain’s perspective, with Bruno Lage believing that the West Midlands side are in a position to compete with bigger clubs due to the ongoing project at the club:

“Every time I talk with Mathew Hobbs (Chief Scout), there is a feeling now that the good players who comes to use come because of the way we have been performing.” said Lage.

Having started all 32 Premier League games for Wolves this season, it would be a real shock if Coady decided to seek pastures new, but that appearance count only demonstrates his importance, especially to a defence that has conceded only 28 times this term, the fourth-fewest in the top-flight.

Should that be broken up, it would leave the Molineux faithful rather aghast.

In other news: Wolves eyeing £25m-rated Brazilian gem, Lage surely buzzing – opinion.

Taking to Twitter, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has backed a development in West Ham United’s pursuit of Manchester United star and top target Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham ready to pay fee…

It is no secret that the 29-year-old is on manager David Moyes’ radar as he seeks to bolster his side’s options and give them a fighting chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

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After his sensational spell on loan in east London over the second half of 2020/2021, West Ham, Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman have been targeting Lingard as his current deal at Old Trafford looks set to expire at the end of this season.

The England international, as a result, can either wait until the summer and leave for free or opt to join a new club in January if any suitors table a bid before deadline day.

Recent reports say West Ham are indeed willing to do just that with the Irons now apparently ready to pay a £3million fee to seal Lingard’s signing.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee backs Lingard development…

Taking to social media, reliable Hammers source Ex backed this development in the Lingard transfer saga.

Whilst stating ‘yes’ in reply to a supporter who asked if there is any truth to the £3m bid rumours, the insider did also provide a degree of caution – going on to claim West Ham’s willingness to pay doesn’t necessarily mean the player wants to make the move.

The Verdict: Get it done…

While the £75,000-per-week ace’s current stance on a move to West Ham remains the last major hurdle, if his mind is swayed, signing him would be a big boost for Moyes.

Scoring nine goals and assisting four others in 16 Premier League starts last season on a temporary spell, Lingard is a proven player under the Irons boss and could gift the club a different dimension going forward.

Taking into account his 2021 numbers at West Ham, with talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham calling him ‘absolutely phenomenal’, £3m seems like a real bargain.

Hammers supporters may be hoping that there is a development on Lingard’s side that favours him joining West Ham permanently before January 31.

In other news: ‘Please please please’, ‘Baller’, ‘Perfect’ – Many West Ham fans rave as GSB eye ‘fantastic signing’…find out more here.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is sleepwalking into another Rafa Benitez-esque howler amid reports linking the club with Steve Hitchen.

What’s the story?

Following Hitchen’s exit from his scouting and recruitment role at Spurs, The Guardian have claimed that the Toffees are interested in giving him a similar position at Goodison Park.

The report claims that the Premier League club are embarking on this new restructure along with Frank Lampard as their new manager, with Everton having been working “without a director of football, head of recruitment and manager of scouting after the respective departures of Marcel Brands, Grétar Steinsson and Dan Purdy were announced in early December.”

Would be an expensive nightmare for Everton

While this previous summer might have seen Everton keep the purse-strings shut at Goodison Park, that has been the major exception to the rule since Moshiri’s arrival at the club.

The Toffees have been very big spenders in the transfer market, but have had very little to show for it, and it’s no surprise that journalist Alan Myers delivered this verdict on the club’s recruitment strategy.

He said: “Wow. I heard in the radio earlier, only Man City, Man Utd, Barcelona, PSG and Inter Milan had a bigger net spend than Everton across Europe over previous 10 windows (before this summer).

“Even the richest owner of any football club must surely look at the return for that investment and ask the question, why has this happened? Can it be just a string of failed managerial appointments or is it far more than that?”

In Hitchen, Moshiri would be making another Benitez-esque mistake, with his track record at his most recent club very unconvincing, if not down-right woeful.

After being appointed as Spurs’ chief scout back in February 2017, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Lucas Moura remain with the north London side’s first-team under Antonio Conte as regular fixtures, while a far bigger number are either on the peripheries of the squad, or have already left.

In fact, the 2019 summer arrivals of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso – both for a combined fee of around £115m – have actually both just left the Lilywhites in the January transfer window just gone by, a real indication of the kind of shocking misses that Hitchen has made at Spurs.

The last thing Everton need now is for another appointment from Moshiri that leads to yet more years of suffering in the transfer market.

Hitchen’s record at Spurs in recent seasons has been underwhelming to say the least, and would just be an expensive nightmare at Goodison Park.

Meanwhile, Lampard could bring the best out of this man…

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In-form Southampton attacker Nathan Redmond has opened up to The Daily Echo on his one-to-one meeting with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the squad’s training camp in Tenerife earlier this month, saying that the Austrian told him to stop ‘standing still’.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 51-year-old boss had a discussion with and provided feedback on every player in the squad that was present for the trip to the Canary Island, which included Redmond.

The 24-year-old has been in scintillating form since Hasenhuttl was appointed as Mark Hughes’ successor back in December, scoring six goals and providing a further two assists in all competitions.

However, despite being arguably the south coast outfit’s best player in the last couple of months, the former Norwich City man revealed to The Daily Echo that he wasn’t exempt from having things to work on and improve.

Redmond said: “In terms of the negatives, he told me to not stand still as much. He noticed at the start when he first came in that I stood still and that I was waiting for things to happen.

“He said I was still standing still a little bit, but not as much as before.

“There are a lot of things like decision making and stuff, but at the end of the day if I want to keep developing and performing in this team, then I have to take it on board.”

Is Hasenhuttl right?

He probably is, yes.

While Redmond has clearly stepped it up in terms of being a big threat in the final third for Southampton in recent times, there are still obviously more ways in which he can affect matches for his side.

Hasenhuttl clearly wants the one-cap England international to be more aware and on his toes, providing that movement to help his teammates out when they are looking for forward passes.

It is the sort of contructive criticism that can make the 24-year-old an even better player than the one he is showing he is right now, and that can only benefit Saints in their battle against relegation.

Aston Villa fans should be excited by the arrival of Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans, who claimed in a post on Twitter that Michael Beale, Gerrard’s number two at Rangers and likely assistant at Villa, is widely considered to be something of a genius behind the scenes.

Evans went on to share Jordan Campbell’s article for The Athletic regarding Beale’s route into coaching, the influence the 41-year-old has during training and his importance in implementing Gerrard’s tactical vision within a team.

In his tweet, Evans simply said: “Michael Beale is described as a ‘genius’.”

Fans should be excited

While Gerrard’s appointment as the new Aston Villa manager will undoubtedly steal the headlines over the coming days, should Beale indeed follow the former Liverpool captain to Villa Park, fans should be equally as excited about the appointment of the coach as they are about Gerrard.

Indeed, having gained experience as a coach in both the Chelsea and Liverpool academies, Beale also spent a brief spell as Rogerio Ceni’s number two at Brazilian side Sao Paulo, before returning to England as Liverpool’s head of academy coaching in the summer of 2017.

He would spend just one season in this role, as, following Gerrard’s appointment at Rangers in 2018, the 41-year-old manager offered Beale a role as his assistant at Ibrox, which he duly accepted.

In Glasgow, Gerrard – and Beale – would go on to transform Rangers, winning the club’s first league title for a decade in considerable style, with Gers remaining undefeated for the entirety of the 2020/21 Premiership campaign, as well as reaching the last 16 of the Europa League in each of the last two seasons.

Beale’s role in this success is undeniable, with the 41-year-old coach being understood to lead the vast majority of Rangers’ first-team training – taking a particularly hands-on role with the club’s midfielders and forwards – as well as watching the first half of Rangers’ fixtures from the stands, in order to gain a better tactical understanding of what is happening in a match before offering his findings to Gerrard at half time.

Furthermore, Beale has drawn considerable praise for the work he has done thus far in his career, with Gerrard himself stating of the coach: “It would take me 15-20 years to become as good as Michael Beale as an on-pitch coach, delivering sessions on a daily basis, so I let Mick be Mick because he’s the expert.”

The former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday also claimed that the 41-year-old is one of the best coaches he has ever worked with, stating: “He’s probably the best coach I’ve worked under. His attention to detail and defensive organisation is incredible… it’s the clarity and the role he gives every single player within the system. It’s very refreshing as a player to go into a game and know exactly what’s expected of you.”

As such, while Gerrard is very much the face of the operation, Beale is undoubtedly the brains, with his potential appointment at Villa being an extremely big positive for the club, players and supporters alike.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops major Aston Villa manager update that will have fans elated

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after James Pearce claimed the Reds are unlikely to sign anyone in the January transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp had a quiet time of things in the summer, with Ibrahima Konate the only player coming in and the likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri leaving the club.

There may be the need for January reinforcements to come in, though, especially with Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane departing to the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Next month could be a pivotal one in Liverpool’s season and whether or not they do any transfer business may end up proving key to their success.

According to The Athletic‘s Pearce [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, the Reds are unlikely to make any new signings in January, ‘barring an injury crisis or a change of heart’.

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Liverpool fans fume at James Pearce claim

It isn’t an update that has gone down well with some Liverpool fans on Twitter, with these supporters providing their thoughts.

“Tell us something we DON’T know James”

Credit: @andrefening

“Seriously, I love klopp and wouldn’t change him for any other manager but he cannot moan about congestion fixtures and then not sign any players”

Credit: @braham_shay

“Sorry can’t do this”

Credit: @StartJoeGomez

“Is this ever going to end?”

Credit: @jono1018

“Wow, what a shock. Come early Feb we will be linked with players again….. At least it wont be Sancho again lol”

Credit: @jayellcee7791

“The article on February 1st… ‘Liverpool are gearing up for a very expensive summer where they look to spend £200m+’…. The article on September 1st… ‘The new Anny Road development has gone over budget that’s why reinforcements could not be bought in!'”

Credit: @sjlfc2005

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to an exciting transfer update. Read more here.

Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘made’ a club-record ‘offer’ to sign Darwin Nunez in the summer.

The Lowdown: ‘Marquee’ signing

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly want to make a ‘marquee’ signing this summer, and Nunez tops that list.

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Described as an ‘absolute beast’ by Liverpool podcaster Hari Sethi after an impressive performance in the UEFA Champions League against the Reds, the six-foot-two starlet has notched up no fewer than 32 goals in just 37 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and will no doubt be on a lot of club’s radars come the transfer window.

The Latest: Offer made

As per transfer insider Santi Aouna, the St. James’ Park faithful have now ‘made an offer’ for Nunez ‘in recent weeks’, but ‘several’ clubs in Europe are ‘trying’ to sign him from Benfica.

He expanded in his article for Foot Mercato that the North East club have offered ‘more than’ €60m (£49.6m) for his signature, but face competition from PSG, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.

The Verdict: Unlikely

Given the calibre of clubs interested, and off of the back of the season that he is having, it seems highly unlikely that the Magpies would be able to persuade Nunez to move to Tyneside.

They would not be able to offer him any European football, and so it is too early in their project to be going for names currently being chased by what seems like half of the big teams in Europe.

However, he is only 22 years of age, and so the Uruguay international could be one that they look to target in the future, once the PIF project is fully firing.

In other news, find out which Van Dijk-like colossus NUFC have now sent scouts to watch here!

Under-fire Everton boss Frank Lampard faces a tough battle in his quest to renew the Toffees’ Premier League status for next season. It’s a battle that is made even more difficult as he returns to the club where it all started in West Ham United.

The Hammers will certainly not consider their opponents’ position in the table this season and will be out to fight for their own cause, as they look to bustle their way into the Champions League places in what, albeit, looks like a very unlikely ambition.

Two wins from their last six games in all competitions is not the kind of form that will elevate David Moyes’ side to that next level and todays fixture at the London Stadium represents a high stakes fixture for both sides.

West Ham seem to have lost momentum at the worst possible time of the season and will need a win against this season’s Premier League strugglers Everton in order to bounce back from what was a disappointing 3-1 loss against Antonio Conte’s Spurs side last time out.

Everton are in a similar vein of form, with the Toffees also registering two wins from six in all competitions, though one of their two wins came against National League outfit Boreham Wood during their FA Cup tie, so make of that what you will.

During that span of six games, Lampard’s side have shipped an unbelievable 11 goals and scored just three with both stats pointing towards serious downfall for the Merseyside outfit.

In terms of injury news, Lampard is optimistic over the return of the 6 foot 5 Colombian giant Yerry Mina and believes he will return to action in “the next couple of weeks.”

The Everton boss also revealed that Fabian Delph’s return could be “in another week or so” whilst the “long-term injury” to Andros Townsend will be a disappointing one to take for the Toffees faithful.

This is how we believe the Toffees XI will line up against an ambitious West Ham side:

Everton XI: Pickford, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Coleman, Doucouré, de Beek, Kenny, Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, Gray

Our prediction sees Richarlison, who was dubbed a “top” player by journalist Carl Markham, miss out after failing to score since the middle of January.

As a result, the £37.8m-rated Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns in what will be just his third start since early March.

His inclusion in the side will come as a huge boost with the Toffees in need of goals. Calvert-Lewin should certainly bring more of a goal threat considering his 21 strikes in 2020/21.

Townsend will miss out through injury, with Demarai Gray coming in to replace him and Andre Gomes will be axed for the inclusion of on-loan United midfielder Donny Van de Beek in the third and final change to the side.

In other news – Everton must finally unleash £19.8m-rated “freak of a talent” who has been “destroyed”