Boys who want to be footballers have a difficult dream to achieve. Of the 1.5 million boys who play organised youth football at any given time in England, only around 180 will be signed

professionally by a Premier League club. This dream can feel within a boy’s grasp, though, when he is signed to a professional football club’s academy. Academies run from the under-nine age

group all the way up until the under-23s. From around the age of 12, players can be brought out of school to attend training. At 16, players are offered a two-year scholarship at their club

and become full-time. However, 50% of all academy players leave the academy system before they are 16. Recent data on former elite academy players has shown that 97% did not go on to play

long-term injury. Together with colleagues, I have recently published research exploring the experiences of young players released from professional football academies. We held in-depth

interviews with four youth footballers, who were released from their academies between 19 and 20 years of age. A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE We found that the initial contract meeting, in which the

players learned they were being released, was a traumatic experience. All of the players were brought from a changing room full of their teammates to learn their fate. One of the young men

we interviewed said: > Yeah, it was emotional. Obviously you hold it all in but you’re > sitting there and it’s like… I’ve been there for five years, > you know the kit man, all the

 lads, the coaches and you literally > get told no, and it’s within ten minutes, you’ve got all your > stuff and you’re out and you never see them again. So it’s just > kind of like

 from everything to nothing in a split second. In the longer term, in some cases up to a year after their release, three of the four players experienced psychological difficulties including

depression and anxiety. One of our participants said: > I won’t lie to you, yeah I did get down after I left. Like, > properly … like I’m not gonna sit here and try and tell anyone

> it doesn’t affect you, it affected me more, like … a year after > … or like, six, seven months after. All of the players we spoke to reported that they received no support or

aftercare from their clubs, which added to their difficulty transitioning away from the club. One said: > The club kind of just leave you to it which is hard because you’d > been there

 for so long. Then they just brush you aside like you’re > nothing. The players found it hard to go to their parents for help, because they did not want to burden them with their

emotional difficulties. One player did note the excellent support provided by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the counselling network they provide. Counselling from the

PFA is optional, though, and the player was the one to contact them for support. Automatically scheduled counselling could make a difference to players released from academies. Another spoke

of the benefit of seeking support through independent counselling services: > I literally just remember … I was like, so down. I had counselling > and I just remember I had four 

hour[-long] counselling sessions and > I must have just cried for about 45 minutes of each. Yeah, I felt > well better after … I think it makes you a better person now > ‘cos you’re

 so resilient to most things. Players released from academies also need more support from their clubs. Academies could develop pre-release programmes aimed at preparing players for release

which could support their transition away from their club. This could include focusing on players’ coping skills, improving their ability to seek social support and developing their

confidence and self-esteem. In January 2022, Crystal Palace Football Club announced that they would offer three years of aftercare for released players between the ages of 18 and 23, with a

“player care officer” allocated to released players to support them and help them find a new football club or move into education or a job. In June 2022, new guidelines passed by the Premier

League will require all Premier League and English Football League clubs to give a three-year “commitment of support” to released academy players. Initiatives like those at Crystal Palace

are hopefully the start of a sea change in the British academy system. If more clubs follow suit, they can help prevent those childhood dreams from becoming nightmares for released players

and their families. _If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, the following services can provide you with support: In the UK and Ireland – call Samaritans UK at 116 123. In the US – call

the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or IMAlive at 1-800-784-2433. In Australia – call Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14. In other countries – visit IASP or

Suicide.org to find a helpline in your country._