Question: Nigerian Professional player Returnee.
Why is it that trials abroad is so difficult to pass in western Europe? At times 3/4days, they call your agent that the player should go back home.
2. Do you advise professional players abroad currently back home in Nigeria without club to play NPFL?
Answer: passing a football trial abroad especially in the western Europe can be difficult! Mostly they judge on 2 factors:
1. Social integrations and discipline.
2. Technical capability.
The social integration is an important factor which can also be waived when you are exceedingly fantastic technically but when you are below average/ average player, it could be a vital factor to be considered. In simple terms: social integrations are :
Do you keep to time?
When a driver is asked to pick you for training at 2.15 pm at the Hotel lobby and you came out 2.56pm, it’s a negative factor against you already (set up alarm so you make up. 2pm at the lobby)
B: How friendly are you in the dressing room? Did you exchange compliments with some players or just moody? (Be friendly on the first days by saying Hi to the nearest people around you.)
C, Did you shout/ fight a teammate because of a hard tackle? (Never do that even u received a hard knock, just walk away)
D: If you used the telephone in the hotels to call your home country to the tune of hundreds of dollars within few days of your arrivals that’s not cool (resist the temptation to do that, ask your local agent to get you a call card, don’t embarrass yourself)
E. On a dinner outing with teammates after a trial match, your table manners matter a lot, talking loud on the phone, the constant ringing of your phone during meals with teammates is wrong (put off your phone during team talk or meals)F. Asking the driver who picks you every day for training for money or something is wrong (never do that it’s ridiculous)
G. Lousy talks and not watching how people do things etc. These are factors to be looked out for. Behave and be friendly so that your technical capacity will be the only factor to judge you.
H. Be respectful to other workers within the club. Don’t shout at the curators, catering officers etc.
Technical reasons; this is mainly your capacity as a football player. How good you are and how you play as a team player . Check out fast the pace and the culture of the team so you can adapt. For example, England football is pacy and very fast, so you must think fast and go at the same rhythm. Collective play is important. Do they press when they lose balls? If yes do the same don’t wait to be told. As an average good player, you will catch up fast because the rest will be taught to you after signing the contracts.
Tactically you must be sound, when you lose the ball you must equally play so the coach will see taking you will not give him headaches to teach you rudiments of tactical play. Being off contract/ NPFL offers! You must consider two factors if you are a career passionate football player or a business player to consider if you play in NPFL or not after staying out of contract in Europe.
A passionate player plays to be fit, active, and to improve and move up in his career while business players do so just for money. If you are on transfer market records, it’s good to continue playing so that globally you will be seen active and it’s easier for the European team to come calling again. If you stopped playing for a year , it might be difficult getting a trial again in Europe, imagine staying two seasons at home without playing! Your transfer markets records will read ” retired”. Don’t always check for immediate financial gains and loose the career. You must keep on playing so you can be active. Most don’t know about this , please keep on playing even with NNL side.
Coach Henry Makinwa
UEFA pro badge
Spanish FA.La Liga.