Most guys who are good at football wonder at least once in their life: how to be a professional footballer? A career in football is both very challenging and very fulfilling, not to mention lucrative. Here is how to become a professional footballer!
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1. Start early
Most future professional football players start playing at a very young age – at 3-5 years. By the time they turn 10-12 years old, they start playing semi-professionally at one of the youth football teams.
However, even if you didn’t discover your passion and talent for football for many years, you still have a chance of making it! But the amount of work you’ll need to do is so big that it can easily discourage some of the less motivated players.
2. Become good at football
In order to succeed in professional sports, you need to train both physically and mentally. Mental training for a professional footballer means being able to focus on the game and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Physical training includes everything from full-body workouts to working on specific skills for months until you master them.
Before you can learn how to make a living with football, first you need to know how to be good at football. Having an immense football talent isn’t enough to succeed – you’ll also need a lot of hard work.
In addition to having a great physical condition perfect for playing football professionally, you will also need to work on your character traits. When scouts are looking for new talents to join their clubs, they are not just looking for great players – they are assessing your personality as well. If you are overly competitive, don’t get along with other players, and are not ready to help them, your chances of playing football professionally are very slim.
3. Identify your position
It doesn’t matter if you want to know how to become a footballer at 13, 17, or 20 – the next step is equally important for every player. Before you can start your professional career, you need to find your position.
Each player on a football team has an assigned position: defender, midfielder, forwarder, or goalkeeper. Your coach may help you identify your perfect position, but you can also do it yourself by fairly assessing your strengths and weaknesses and deciding which position works best for your skills.
4. Train regularly
One of the key secrets of how to be a footballer is training as regularly as possible. Of course, when you’re not a professional player yet, you will need to combine training with other commitments like school or work. This is one of the most challenging parts of being a successful footballer.
5. Network
While it’s possible that the right opportunity will find you, in most cases, you will need to be proactive. When you’re playing, make sure to meet as many people as possible. One of them can become your connection to a professional club!
Stay in touch with the people you meet while playing and you will eventually score an invite to a trial. From there, your job is relatively easy – to impress everyone with your skills.
6. Impress at a trial
The scouts for professional football teams may come to your local game or visit a practice in your club. If you want to know how to become a professional footballer at 21 or any age, one of the most valuable advices you can get is not allowing your nerves get to you.
Of course, there is a lot at stake when you’re being viewed by a talent scout. However, in order to do well, you need to treat this particular game like any other game you’ve ever played: stay cool, focus on the victory, and don’t particular try to impress.
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