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Developing Asian Talent (Part Two) |
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The Long Wait:
Britain has yet to produce an international footballer of Asian origins. France developed Vikash Dhorasoo – a player who represented them in the World Cup final in 2006 – without a significant Asian talent pool to draw on. Nervertheless, former professional footballer and current FA coach Noel Blake sees no reason to worry.
“You’ve mentioned one in France,” said Blake. “How big is France? France has produced a lot of African and Caribbean players, yet it has taken a while for that to happen in the England team. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s taken a long, long time. The first black player to play for England was in 1978 – Viv Anderson – and that’s only recent.”
This was almost a century after Arthur Wharton became the first black professional footballer in England. He was eligible to represent England in the 1880s, but despite his claims being pressed in the north-east Wharton was never seriously considered for international recognition. However, his contemporary Andrew Watson played for Scotland in the 1880s.
It would be unthinkable for an England squad not to have a black face in it now and they all came through on merit. Blake thinks that Asian origin players will also come through naturally in time. “My point is it does take time to develop these players,” said Blake. “It’s the same with players from wherever you are from, whatever your culture is. If you want it badly enough and are prepared to put the work in – ability and dedication go hand in hand.”
So when will it happen? “I wouldn’t know,” Blake told us. “I couldn’t put a timescale on it. I wouldn’t know what generation. What I’m saying to you is there a number of Asian players within football clubs. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like, but I think like I said before, it’s a two-way process – one the players of whatever culture have got to want to do it. They’ve got to have the ability and dedication.”
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Developing Asian Talent (Part One) |
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Under-represented:
Britain has yet to produce an international quality footballer of Asian origin. Of the current generation Michael Chopra and Zesh Rehman both played in the Premier League and for various youth teams for England, but neither won a full England cap. “I don’t think I’ve deserved to have an England cap, so I can’t really be disappointed about that,” Chopra told us exclusively. “I think if you’re going to be an England player, you’ve got to be playing week in week out in the Premiership and I haven’t really been doing that on a regular basis, so I can’t really say I’m disappointed, because I don’t think I’ve deserved it.”
The search continues, but over sixty years ago a British-Asian player pulled on an England shirt and played nine internationals – albeit not considered full internationals due to the Second World War – between 1942 and 1945. Frank Soo played alongside the great Sir Stanley Matthews for Stoke City in England’s First Division – predecessor of the Premier League. He made his debut in 1933, so how imporant a role model was Soo for Asian would be footballers?
“It’s important,” Chopra said. “I personally don’t think that there’s enough Asian players in the game. Don’t know why that is. Thankfully for me I’ve got the Indian side of my background and I know that no matter what I do there’s always going to be Asian kids growing up wanting to be a footballer and the main thing is you’ve got to stick in and keep working hard and then hopefully they will fulfil their dreams.”
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Recognition:
Michael Chopra joined Newcastle United’s academy in July 1993, signing his first professional contract seven and a half years later. He played for England at every age group from Under-15 through to Under-21 and seemed destined to be the one that the British-Asian community had been waiting for. He was the first British-Asian to play in the Premier League, scoring the first goal scored by a member of his community in the Premiership as well; it was the fastest too. He was also the first to play in European competition – the Intertoto Cup – and score in that too.
Despite progressing through England’s youth teams, the full international cap eluded him – he made just one Under-21 appearance. Was he disappointed not to have played for England at senior level? “Not really no,” Chopra told us. “I don’t think I’ve deserved to have an England cap, so I can’t really be disappointed about that. I think if you’re going to be an England player, you’ve got to be playing week in week out in the Premiership and I haven’t really been doing that on a regular basis, so I can’t really say I’m disappointed, because I don’t think I’ve deserved it.”
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A Brutal Business:
Professional football clubs want quality players, end of story. Developing young players is an investment of the time, effort and resources of the staff of their academy or centre of excellence. Even clubs with a strong emphasis on youth development need a return on their investments. Places in the academy are limited and scholarships are even more at a premium. They have to make life-changing decisions about young players. They can’t afford sentiment, especially at elite level. They have to believe that the youngster will become an asset to the club. It’s become a business – often a brutal one.
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A Brutal Business:
Professional football clubs want quality players, end of story. Developing young players is an investment of the time, effort and resources of the staff of their academy or centre of excellence. Even clubs with a strong emphasis on youth development need a return on their investments. Places in the academy are limited and scholarships are even more at a premium. They have to make life-changing decisions about young players. They can’t afford sentiment, especially at elite level. They have to believe that the youngster will become an asset to the club. It’s become a business – often a brutal one.
The vast majority of the boys that make it into the academy don’t get scholarships either. Cardiff City has a very successful academy that has contributed players to the first team and assets that have been sold on to bigger clubs for a profit. It has more than paid for itself several times over, yet the wastage rate is high. The academy has several boys passing through it at any time. “I think in total, all the way round the age groups a rough estimate would be around 140,” says Academy Director Neal Ardley. “We are constantly bringing in new lads on six week trials and trialists.”
Of those around ten percent will get a scholarship and if half of them ever play for Cardiff City, they will have exceeded expectations. About 95% of those passing through an academy or centre of excellence will never play professional football. Even those getting scholarships have a high wastage rate.
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