When you see a world-class footballer coolly roll a ball into the back of the net past a prone goalkeeper, or blast a 40-yard free kick into the top corner it can be easy to dismiss the notion that hours of hard work have been poured into practising and improving that skill on the training pitch.
A lot of hard yards behind the scenes go into becoming a top-quality athlete.
Rejection, too, can play a major part in seeing a football player develop over the years. It can motivate them to become better at their chosen profession and force them to push past some of their peers.
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So, join us in reflecting back on some surprising footballers, including UEFA Champions League stars and Premier League legends, who were rejected as youngsters before, amazingly, going on to become legends in their own right.
#1 Ian Wright
Nowadays he’s a pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day, offering his expert analysis on Premier League matches, but he has a glorious career behind him that deserves to be remembered as one of the most eye-catching of them all.
An Arsenal legend, Wright is one of their most clinical strikers and sits proudly alongside the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp as one of the Gunners’ most exciting strikers ever. He possessed an ability to guide balls into the back of the net few have been able to reproduce in a red and white north London shirt and had a charismatic aura about him, to boot.
However, it might come as a bit of a surprise to learn that he was rejected by a plethora of clubs when he was young before he was ever afforded a proper chance to prove himself at Crystal Palace.
Southend United, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion all turned down the opportunity to sign him – they must have all kicked themselves when they saw him go on to become Arsenal’s second-highest goalscorer of all time.
#2 Charlie Austin
Rejected by Reading when he was just 14 years of age, Charlie Austin had to fight tooth and nail to get his chance at stardom in the upper echelons of English football.
In the years that followed, he spent time moonlighting as a bricklayer while he honed his craft with lower league side Poole Town, at one point scoring a gob-smacking 46 goals in 46 games.
It was this goal rush that earned him the attentions of some bigger clubs. An 18-goal season with Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League has been a highlight of his since, as well as becoming a prominent attacking force with Southampton.
His work to become an accomplished figure where he was once a nobody deserves some huge praise – he’s even earned call-ups to the England senior international team and despite recently picking up a four-month shoulder injury, the evidence of his resilience proves he will be back stronger than ever in the second half of the season.
#3 Steve Bruce
Managing Aston Villa back to some sort of decency is not a task for the faint of heart, so it’s easy to understand why Steve Bruce opted to take up the challenge a few months ago.
As a developing young player and schoolboy footballer, long before he reached the upper echelons of stardom with Manchester United, he wasn’t fancied by a lot of clubs who gave him trials and chances to make it. Bruce was rejected by Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and even Burnley before ultimately getting some time to showcase his talents in the unlikely setting of Gillingham.
Years later, he became a three-time winner of the Premier League and one of the most accomplished centre-backs in the game as he helped build the foundations of the Red Devils’ seemingly unstoppable empire under Sir Alex Ferguson.
He is a beacon of hope for starlets everywhere that with persistence, dedication and hard work, one can burn brightly. Inspirational.
#4 Roy Keane
Irish football fans remain somewhat divided on their opinions of Roy Keane. Some think of him as one of the best players – if not the best – the country has ever seen produced on its shores. Others, though, see him as a trouble-starting traitor (which is a bit harsh if we’re honest).
Before he left the Emerald Isle for England, some of his coaches penned gushing letters to the likes of Chelsea, Luton Town, Brighton and Sheffield Wednesday but none of them jumped at the chance of picking him up.
That level of widespread dismissal must have been tough to take but when he eventually impressed Nottingham Forest, as he always knew he would, he kickstarted a remarkable rise to the top of European football which saw him captain one of the greatest English club sides of all time at Manchester United as well as become a combative, feisty midfielder.
Now – he is the assistant manager of his home country; not a bad story to reflect on for someone who was once just a young boy from the south of a tiny island on the edge of the continent.
#5 Antoine Griezmann
It’s a common reason behind plenty of big stars’ rejection, but it can’t have made it any easier for Antoine Griezmann to stomach the notion that he was turned away as a young lad for being too small.
It’s poetic justice, perhaps, that he has since turned that chink in his armour into one of his biggest strengths as he has become one of the most exciting and skilful midfielders on the planet, rubbing shoulders with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at Ballon d’Or ceremonies.
Two big clubs in the shape of Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais opted not to take him on due to his lack of height, and it took Spanish outfit Real Sociedad to take a punt on bringing him aboard where he made 200 appearances.
Los Colchoneros eventually forked out 30 million quid to capture his services, but it has proved to be worth it so far given his unbelievable performances for them in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga to date.
