Comments Email Print . .. An eight-year-old budding footballer from Kingsbury has been plucked from his local team and signed a contract with Premier League side Queenâs Park Rangers (QPR). Deven Solanki was spotted by QPR coaches during a game for his club AFC Wembley. The striker signed a contract with the West London side two weeks ago. Speaking to the Times, his father Hemel said: âWe are extremely proud of him and will continue to support him. Hopefully he has a very bright future ahead of him.â Devenâs path is similar to former Wembley schoolboy Raheem Sterling who, like Deven, started out as a player for Kingsbury based Alpha and Omega FC and AFC Wembley before signing for QPR. Mr Sterling eventually moved to Liverpool FC where he currently plays. Angel Reid, Devenâs mother said: âEver since he was tiny he has always been kicking balls around, his love of football has really paid off. âHe certainly didnât get his talent from either of us, its all self taught.â Deven will play for QPRâs under nines team. The first team will play in the Championship, professional footballâs second tier next season following relegation from the Premier League.
It is unfortunately is the way things are done nowadays, but with the academy being built we do need to start looking for kids early. At least now with a world class facility being built we might be able to keep these kids for the future, instead of losing them for nothing as we did with Sterling.
Can't criticise our club for running an under 9's team, and since they do, they're gonna sign up 8 year olds! Good luck to all of them in their fledgling careers.
You never know what will become of them at that age. Sonny Pike anyone?! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Pike
Mates son March plays for Brighton signed for Palace at 7/8 ... and that was 10 years ago .. most lads get rejected because of body size and strength ... in the case i know about he didn't give up or stop believing ... that's the difference as most English lads were then competing with large French African lads ... no contest. you just keep going andIf you have to play county league so be it. Most get lazy and give up as told by people you aren't good enough ... I did after school trials with Fulham scouts had a crap few games over a day and they only picked out one mate who could run 100m in 11.5 sec ... the fact that he couldn't control a football didn't seem to matter ... he went on a bit and was then also dropped. Confidence: we played Arsenal boys in our teens and our side hadn't been beaten in Schools football for years ... thrashed 6-0 or more if i remember and we didn't get near the ball after that we struggled to win a game for a while I got involved in boys football 15 years ago and it is rare that anyone makes it IMO we are miles behind still. I played in France a load in Vets league at 29! ... you were already too old there to play in full on league comps then and couldn't get insurance ! the football was light years ahead, played against German sides they were even better. The fact is that to make it as my mate has now ... massive sacrifices required and total dedication are the basics of what is required.
A contract at that age is one thing but beyond that - take a look here! If you don't want to read the full article, this is the bottom line The decision to leave the west London outfit was not an easy one for either party as McGeehan admitted the Blues had paid Fulham for his services saying: “I think the figure was around £80,000 which is a lot for a 10-year-old.
Would you play Solanki alongside Zamora next season or out wide with Taraabt in the hole? Least we have options and in Harry we trust. Do you reckon he is taller than SWP yet? £80,000. That more than Granero earns in a week !
I think the day's of uncovering a Les Ferdinand or an Ian Wright are well and truly over. No one slips through the net nowadays. My mate is a scout for a rival West London Prem team that play in blue, and he will travel all over the South of England on the most vaguest of tips to scout a potential player.
Knowing what i know about my mate's son this is very normal ... they are having to have help to control the amounts of money coming in
I run an under7s local boys side and have been training my boys for two years now. I thought my boys were talented for their age until i see some of the academy players thats the clubs have already scouted. two of my boys go to the professional clubs for training and i will loose them next year when they finally become under9s to the professional clubs. It amazes me that people still think that they can pick a pro at the age of 6/7. The trouble is these pro clubs take these boys on then spit them out without a care, and you have to explain to a nine year old they are not good enough. I would recommend to anyone out there take your boy to these clubs and let them get proffessional coacing but do not sign. If you are good enough later in life then you are good enough and your options are still open. I think it was sol campbells dad who refused to sign for anyone until Sol was a lot older, he did ok !!!!
Perhaps 1 in a thousand of those under 10 will actually make it to the Premier League, and half of that thousand will be lucky to make the Comference...
Perhaps 1 in a thousand of those under 10 will actually make it to the Premier League, and half of that thousand will be lucky to make the Comference...
This. I've had a wee bit to do with youth football through my work.. and that, Ranger, is bloody good advice. It should be against the law to pay money and allow an 8 year old to sign a contract. Play football. Work at it, sure. But don't bet your future on becoming a pro. The odds are massively stacked against you. WHEN you get rejected somewhere down the line.. at least your life won't feel like it's ended. You've kept your head. You have other ambitions and qualifications. I'll stop there. I get really angry at the way children are used and spat out by football clubs.
A guy I used to know had a son who was good at football. He was enrolled in the Palace academy, but every week they took on two new players and kicked two out to make room for them. Every week when I saw him, I was hoping that his boy had not been jettisoned. That is no life for kids. I still keep half an eye out for his name, but I doubt he will make it.
I would always advise youngsters below 14 should go to Non-League youth teams where they are not treated as cannon-fodder in the set-up. Dulwich Hamlet have a great set-up and have produced some real gems in the last few years. My grandson had a spell there a few years ago and, although he ultimately did'nt make it, he said it was a great experience that improves not just your football...
