Randolph 3rd choice.

I don't blame any of them for thinking it's just a 'job' - I doubt shelf-stackers love ASDA, Tesco, etc either
I remember reading that at the end of their career, about a third of footballers hated the sport. Yes, it was a job.
They've been training since they were kids, and they have a tedious amount of training to do when they make it as professionals. Many end up with life time conditions which come later for many of us non-professional sports people. Sure, many get large wages but it's no surprise they treat like a job like we do with our work. It seems strange because most of us would give our left arm to play football.
 
I remember reading that at the end of their career, about a third of footballers hated the sport. Yes, it was a job.
They've been training since they were kids, and they have a tedious amount of training to do when they make it as professionals. Many end up with life time conditions which come later for many of us non-professional sports people. Sure, many get large wages but it's no surprise they treat like a job like we do with our work. It seems strange because most of us would give our left arm to play football.
An Irishman called Jimmy Hasty played football without a left arm 😉
 
What I don’t get is how someone can find out they are so talented to the degree they can forge a career out of something they do not like. They must all have liked or enjoyed it at some point to get to the level they did surely?
Same as Musicians who are SICK of playing their 'hit songs' - they play them because it sells out Arenas, Gigs, etc

 
I suppose it gets like that if you’re rattling round the lower leagues and getting booted all over the place every week, playing with injuries etc. It must be great at the top end though, playing all over the world in the champions league and international tournaments 😊
 
Bit different though isn’t it.
Is it though? Forget about the brass , after a while I am sure that it becomes just like anything else for quite a fair few . You have a boss that you like/don't ; same for workmates etc ; instead of an annual review , you're getting a daily review & not just from one person but potentially millions !
Look at that Dutch player who gave up the game last week - said he fell out of love with it.
 
I don't blame any of them for thinking it's just a 'job' - I doubt shelf-stackers love ASDA, Tesco, etc either

I did shelf-stacking at York Asda for a year and loved it, especially on nights - no customers and decent music blasting out all night and no worries.

Lived football when I was young but now only watch Boro. I could probably only name a couple of players in most Premiership teams.
 
What I don’t get is how someone can find out they are so talented to the degree they can forge a career out of something they do not like. They must all have liked or enjoyed it at some point to get to the level they did surely?

That's the time when they are just like us and have a dream of playing for their home town team in the FA Cup Final.
Then reality hits in and they make it. :D
 
I don't want any footballers at boro who don't love football, end of. If it needs explaining why then you should probably start watching something else and it's an absolute mystery to me why you're even posting on a footy message board.
 
Also, maybe comments have already been deleted due to Rob wishing to avoid legal attention but it's pretty well known that Randolph had some behind the scenes issues that meant we were all too happy to take the cash (it didn't reflect well on the club either by modern standards).
 
I suppose when you spent every weekend of your youth being ferried around to play, training and joining academies then it becomes the equivalent of the average person doing school, college, university... You end up becoming good at something which started as 'just what I do.' You know nothing different and it becomes a mundanity for some.

Gone are the days of players having time served and fledgling careers before going pro, with the perspective of not believing your luck.
 
Also, maybe comments have already been deleted due to Rob wishing to avoid legal attention but it's pretty well known that Randolph had some behind the scenes issues that meant we were all too happy to take the cash (it didn't reflect well on the club either by modern standards).
But West Ham were OK with it - whatever it was?
 
Weird when you get players like that isn’t it. I remember David hurst on soccer am said he doesn’t watch football and couldn’t name any players as he doesn’t really like the game. To him it was a job.
It's mad that, other than kicking/ heading a ball (which won't take up much of his time), his job is to know the game, who he's playing and their capabilities etc.
 
Some interesting comments, I get the job thing.. a very, very well paid job & if I was hiring I wouldn't want some guy who had no ambition other than stay fit & show up for the length of their contract.

Sign enough lightweights (comparitive) & the performances they put in will get the manager sacked, club relegated & fans hacked off..
 
I think some of you are taking the idea that a player doesn’t really care for football and sees it as a job and assuming it means they’re unprofessional. Before knowing Randolph wasn’t football daft did you ever watch him and think “oh he’s just playing for the money”?
 
I think some of you are taking the idea that a player doesn’t really care for football and sees it as a job and assuming it means they’re unprofessional. Before knowing Randolph wasn’t football daft did you ever watch him and think “oh he’s just playing for the money”?

I don't think anyone has said he's unprofessional, they've just noted his lack of ambition.

Not particularly liking football helps to explain why he's happy to be third/fourth choice goalkeeper at West Ham rather than playing consistently at a lower level.

It makes sense that somebody who's not really that in to football would prefer more money for less work, and I don't really blame him.

That's not questioning his professionalism, he was consistently excellent here when playing, arguably our best goalkeeper since Schwarzer and there was never any mention of him not pulling his weight behind the scenes.

I'm sure he still trains properly at West Ham, but he's doing so without the expectation of actually having to play a game.
 
I don't think anyone has said he's unprofessional, they've just noted his lack of ambition.

Not particularly liking football helps to explain why he's happy to be third/fourth choice goalkeeper at West Ham rather than playing consistently at a lower level.

It makes sense that somebody who's not really that in to football would prefer more money for less work, and I don't really blame him.

That's not questioning his professionalism, he was consistently excellent here when playing, arguably our best goalkeeper since Schwarzer and there was never any mention of him not pulling his weight behind the scenes.

I'm sure he still trains properly at West Ham, but he's doing so without the expectation of actually having to play a game.
Spot on. Exactly how I see it, he is professional but he doesn’t have the ambition of someone who is in love with the game. No one would argue with his quality, if he had a proper passion for the game who knows how good he could of been.
 
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