How to go pro in football

One of the most important decisions we make in life is what career to pursue. This decision doesn’t always have to be definitive and can change as you grow older and find what you’re passionate about. Whatever age you are, one of your big goals in life should be to find a job you love and, if you love football, working in that wide and exciting industry may be for you. 

There are many careers in football, with coaching, managing and refereeing being some of the roles closest to the action but, if you have your heart set on becoming a professional footballer, you have a lot of work to do. A difficult job to get and keep, becoming a football player requires unrivalled passion and commitment but, if you have the skills, there’s nothing to stop you from getting your dream job. So, if you’re ready to learn how to become a football player, or work in the wider industry, now is the time to get started.

How hard is it to become a professional footballer?

We won’t sugar coat it for you, becoming a professional footballer is no easy task. There are hundreds of thousands of people that attempt it, but only those who prove they are skilled enough and dedicate themselves fully to their goal will make it. 

Just wanting it isn’t enough, you have to actively search for ways to be seen, continually improve your own skill set through regular practice and take steps to get yourself into the world of professional football at a relatively young age. Most professional footballers start playing before they even reach the age of ten, playing at school, joining local clubs and enrolling into academies in order to mature their skills to elite standards before they reach adulthood. Of course, there are plenty of professionals who joined the sport late that have still found their way to success.

How to become a footballer

Increase your chances of getting that dream job by following our five top tips on how to become a professional football player.

Motivation and dedication

While this alone will not guarantee you a position in your dream job, there is no doubt that having an abundance of motivation and dedication is vital to propelling you towards becoming a professional football player. Without these values, many young players will abandon their dream job when facing the conflict of money struggles, long training sessions and seeing others chosen by scouts first. 

Throughout your career, your motivation and dedication will be tested, and not always by the big challenges you may already be bracing yourself for such as gathering funds for training, and gear. Often, the small, day-in day-out challenges represent the true test. At first, abandoning plans with friends in order to put in extra training sessions seems like a small worthy sacrifice. Over time, however, these small sacrifices can become draining and only those that truly believe their goal of becoming a professional football player will be able to weather the storm.

Join a football team

While it may seem an obvious step in the journey to becoming a professional, joining a football team is so important that we had to include it. It’s not enough to simply play with friends or while at school as joining a football team comes with additional benefits you may have overlooked. These benefits include regular practices, the opportunity to play with and against other skilled players, getting access to a trained football coach and even increasing your chances of being spotted by a talent scout.

Find a football coach

If you’re hoping to become a professional football player, you have to accept that you can’t get there alone. As a teenager, young players often rely on their parents to drive them to and from practices and matches but from a more professional standpoint, it’s also an accepted fact that you can’t succeed without a coach.

Experienced in shaping and guiding the raw talent that young footballers approach them with, football coaches are there to help hone your skills into something valued by professional football teams. Coaches can come from a range of places, from school to a grassroots football team or through joining a football academy and utilising their coaching resources.

Eat healthy and get exercise

When you’re spending the majority of your free time in football training, it’s also important to ensure you remain at peak physical health and fitness. This entails sticking to a healthy and balanced diet and doing regular exercise such as swimming, running and weight training. Not only will these additional measures prove to scouts you’re serious and willing to take on the lifestyle of a professional footballer but they're also a great way to support your actual football training.

Prepare to be scouted for football

Once you’ve spent time honing your skills and working alongside your coach and team to build up a good reputation in the football world, you might want to start thinking about how to catch the attention of a football talent scout. This can be a daunting yet exciting task which requires some forethought. For example, you’ll want to put together a portfolio or resume containing your achievements, skills and some information about yourself. On top of this, if you can ask a coach to write a personal recommendation for you to add to your profile, you could be taken even more seriously. 

What jobs are available in football?

While many people who fall in love with football immediately dream of their future career as a famous premier league football player, this isn’t the only career track to follow in football. After learning how difficult this goal is, many football lovers decide to work in other areas of the sport and help in different ways to ensure football retains its prominent position in the sporting world.

Football careers such as these include running local clubs to help aspiring players and performing coaching duties at that level. Football refereeing is another popular football career that ranges from local clubs to national and international levels. Large national teams also have a wide range of staff from managers to marketers, all of which are required to help a club run smoothly.

Outside of the running of the club, certain sport careers such as physiotherapists and dieticians are frequently found supporting football players. They work within their various disciplines to ensure the players remain in peak physical health for games. These careers in football require specific qualifications which can be obtained through universities and specialist colleges, so if you have your heart set on this track, ensuring you have the grades to get onto the relevant courses is the best first move.

Get on track for a career in football

All professional football players started somewhere, and if you truly want to get a career in football, you’d better get started. Begin by joining a football club and steadily building up your skills or applying for qualifications for roles within the wider football industry. 

At Avec Sport, we have a collection of football training wear full of jerseys, shorts and track pants that are designed to boost performance from training to match day. Browse the selection of football training wear online today and get onto the pitch as soon as you can.