Academy exits are tough but I know careers can be turned round

THIS time of year is horrendous for youngsters in academies. The nervous wait to see whether you are going to be taken on full-time at 16. Or where it is all heading at 18. For anyone who doesn’t get the news they want, or has already been told that their future lies elsewhere: it can be done, you can prove people wrong. As a teenager at Tottenham, I was told that I wouldn’t make it in the

Premier League. I went on loan to Dulwich Hamlet, where I wondered if that was going to be my level after struggling to begin with. Then came another loan — this time with IFK Hassleholm in Sweden — and eventually I had to drop down to the Championship and play for Queens Park Rangers to kickstart my career. That £60,000 move to QPR was the best thing I ever did. There are some great comeback stories, Andrew Robertson’s in particular. Celtic told him he wasn’t good enough and he has since fought his way to Champions League finals and winning the Premier League. That is the dream for kids and you never want to give up. Self-belief in these situations is vital, although you also need to be in the right place at the right time. There were some great players from my academy time who never made it. One is a personal trainer now, another a taxi driver. I was one of the lucky ones. Aftercare for youngsters is improving these days. There have to be things in place to help them. But for those of you who might not earn contracts, remember that you have not been in academy football because you are a bad player.