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Footballers who don't like football


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There's been some fuss about the recent England squad because Arsenal defender Ben White called out after an apparent falling out with one of the coaches who seems to have suggested he isn't really interested in football: Ben White saga exposes Southgate and England staff failures after pathetic six-word insult (football365.com)

(You'll note that article is very neutral and even-handed)

I have no idea if this is the case for Mr. White. I do know by looking at him he seems to be the physical embodiment of ITV2, but so do many Barclays footballers. Are there any verified examples of footballers who played at a high level predominately because they were good at it, rather than out of a genuine passion/desire/enjoyment of it? I say high level because you'd need to be at a high level to get enough money to compensate for doing something you didn't actually enjoy.

 

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I think there are a lot more than people might think. It's just a job after all, and how many of us can say they've always dreamed of doing theirs.

Anyway, Les Ferdinand springs to mind for reasons that I don't recall, and I was surprised when Ian Wright started telling tales about how much he loved football when he was a kid, as I swear he used to tell people he wasn't much of a fan back in his Crystal Palace days.

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3 minutes ago, BFTD said:

I think there are a lot more than people might think. It's just a job after all, and how many of us can say they've always dreamed of doing theirs.

Anyway, Les Ferdinand springs to mind for reasons that I don't recall, and I was surprised when Ian Wright started telling tales about how much he loved football when he was a kid, as I swear he used to tell people he wasn't much of a fan back in his Crystal Palace days.

I used to work with a former professional footballer and he said that he stopped watching football in his spare time because it being his actual job ruined his enjoyment as a fan. 

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5 minutes ago, Richey Edwards said:

I used to work with a former professional footballer and he said that he stopped watching football in his spare time because it being his actual job ruined his enjoyment as a fan. 

I'll bet there's a fair few who've been soured on the whole thing after too many Saturdays having your supposed fans screaming abuse at you for having a bad day.

To quote Billy Connolly, I don't come to your work and tell you how to sweep up.

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I think people confuse loving football with loving watching football, as noted in the article above.

I've got a pro in the family on my missus' side. He has a favourite team from childhood, but it's really not a big thing for him as he hardly ever went to watch them and didn't generally see much fitba on the tv.

And why would he? He became a professional footballer by being really good at playing, which is impossible if you don't like playing football, and then tended to be playing when other people were going to watch matches. He'd be in the car with his mum or dad driving hours to go and play somewhere. He went to the odd game as a kid, but the experience of actually going to football is not one he knows well.

Does that mean he loves football less than people who were shite at it so could attend more games? I don't think so. He played and grafted at it enough to make a living doing it.

As for Ben White not wanting to play for England; I don't see it as that shocking. International football is essentially a hobby that gets in the way of a job these guys are paid millions of pounds for doing. I think in the future we're going to see more people not that arsed about it.

Edited by VincentGuerin
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A mate of mine started off full time at The Caley 20 years ago. As he didn't really make it (only played a couple of times in the old First Division) he naturally gravitated to the Highland League (which he won a couple of times, he was rapid and was a pretty good finisher) and he now has very little interest in watching football these days  He's mad for the horses and enjoys cricket and tennis too.  He only really watches football if there's nothing else on and cant be arsed watching Netflix etc. To be honest I think he only watches the football matches he has a bet on, if not he doesn't bother.

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Islam Feruz doesn't seem to have shown a lot of interest in the sport once he got out of his teens.

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Dani Osvaldo, Argentinian although played for Italy, retired at 30 to try and become a musician. He must've regretted it, though, as he returned to football four years later in the Argentine league.

Francesco Coco, former Italy international, also retired at 30 in his case to try and become an actor. Little came of that. He'd had a high mefia profile throughout his playing career as he was married to a famous socialite. He's maybe a case of fame turning him away from football.

A few comments above mention players who claim no interest in watching football. I remember reading that from Arjen Robben. We can assume he enjoyed playing it, though, because he ended his career at Groningen for little financial reward.

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23 minutes ago, Freedom Farter said:

A few comments above mention players who claim no interest in watching football. I remember reading that from Arjen Robben. We can assume he enjoyed playing it, though, because he ended his career at Groningen for little financial reward.

He might have liked the work environment, as weird as it is to say that about football, or just liked feeling important.

I can think of a few folk who clearly didn't enjoy their job much, but I could've seen them staying on after a lottery win because they'd have missed the chat. Imagine being a top footballer and suddenly finding yourself sidelined and reliant on hangers-on for company.

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