“A mate of mine has a good chance of making it as a professional, but he’s getting distracted and throwing it away. What words of wisdom would you give him?”
Will Manning, via Twitter
Troy Deeney says:
“I would urge your friend to think about what he’s trying to achieve in life and apply himself to it.
I’m from a council estate background, and I’ve seen hundreds of people who could have been good footballers, but they’ll tell you ‘If I hadn’t done this’ then they could have made it.
Does your friend want to be that person? Or does he want to knuckle down and do what needs to be done? He can keep street cred by working hard, believe it or not.
He has to focus on what is good for him, not what anyone else says. I just get on with my job these days; I’ve learned to block things out. A lot of pressure comes with being a player in the Premier League. All you need to focus on is what’s happening on the pitch. People’s opinions don’t pay your bills.
You should tell him to be realistic, too. He might not make it to the top, but he can still make a great living as a footballer even a couple of divisions lower down.”
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