Transfer Rumours January 2022 Transfer Window

I don't believe that for one second, no professional footballer worth his salt would not want to play.

Don't forget that he played for England only a few years ago and he has only just renewed his contract with us, it's far more likely that Big Fraser is out of the door before him IMO.

 

If that were true 2nd choice keepers wouldn't exist as they would all be pushing to move.

 

Those are some lofty assumptions you are making there.

Some football players don’t actually enjoy playing football. It is just incredibly lucrative and far more so than anything else they can be doing

Some would rather just play rounds of golf. Look at Bale.

All i’d say is if you can’t believe that for even “one second” then you have a very optimistic view of the world

 

Not to mention “career third choice” goalkeepers like Stuart Taylor

 

Footballers don't enjoy playing football?..., they only dreamed of it since they were a little kid.

 

Not all of them. You actually believe that don’t you?

Have you not heard of Assou-Ekotto and how he just wanted to be a DJ

There are some players who are just naturally good and know it is an incredibly money maker. And as Simon Jordan said the other day - many would be working in McDonalds without football

But not every player had the starry eyed dream of playing. And even if they did have you not seen the stories about how some moan about extra hard training session or the busy Christmas schedule ? So it seems like it loses the shine for some even with all the moment

But yes - some don’t enjoy playing

 

That doesn't mean that they don't like playing or are waiting for their chance.

 

If Alex just wanted to be back up he would've moved by now. There are such things as first team playing bonuses too.

 

As you get to your late 20s life can be more complicated then in your early 20s, l can absolutely understand some goal keepers preferring to be second choice at a premier club than a first choice at a championship club.

 

What’s saying he wasn’t trying to find a move but for a bigger contract ? And that is what stopped it. Which he was. And seemingly hasn’t succeeded

And perhaps his attempt to find a move to date has revealed to him that not only can he not significantly increase his money at another club but potentially can’t match it as a back up due to the goalkeeping situation at the clubs that could do that

My musing was that United shifting a circa 100k a week backup could lead to them equalling McCarthy’s current deal of about 55k IF (and it is a big IF) they saw him as a better backup than Heaton and he was prepared to relocate so far away from the south

 

To get to a professional level of football you have to be incredibly single minded, dedicated and determined, no way do you make it if you don't like doing it IMO.

 

But you can change and stop liking it? I imagine that is more common than you would expect (and that you clearly do expect since you seem to believe it is impossible)

That’s leaving aside how true your opinion is there (I don’t think it is universally true).

 

Depends on the player. I remember when Mark Schwarzer went to Chelsea after years of being a mid table number 1 he said there was interest in him but he wanted to train/play with a big team rather than be a number 1 again at a mid table team.

He was happy just being the cup keeper and being part of a CL squad than being first choice somewhere else. He had done that for along time so can see the appeal.

 

Most obviously in the very recent case of Davy Pröpper - https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-the-game-psv-midfielder-davy-propper-retires

 

But surely this can work the other way and make you hate it later on?

You have to be incredibly disciplined to become a top level pro footballer, yes the money and the hours are great (and from the outside looking in looks a dream) but once it is the “norm” the commitment to fitness/lifestyle could become a massive pain and not something everyone would enjoy

 

Absolutely. I don't think it's common, but it's certainly possible, and certainly happens on the odd occasion.

 

It was the assumption that Alex would "love" to go back to being a back up GK and not having to play that I originally took issue with. How can you know that when he hasn't been a #2 keeper for a few seasons now?.

 

If he doesn’t enjoy playing then it is not an unreasonable claim. Perhaps “love” was a strong choice of words. How about “wouldn’t say no to” or “would be keen on” or the like ?

Of course if the “doesn’t enjoy” extends to the whole thing about fitness focus and training then it doesn’t really matter

 

How do you know that he "doesn't enjoy" playing either is that just your opinion?

 

Note that I said “if he doesn’t enjoy”. It is in the very post you directly quoted

I made no claim to “knowing” anything.