.... jump at the chance to play for top sides abroad? The best English (or more generally British) players I mean. It is obvious that Real Madrid want Gareth Bale and will pay a big sum to get him. What's stopping him? Then there's Rooney. A number of clubs including PSG are said to be interested, and he was reported to be unhappy at OT. Now apparently he is happy to stay if Man U make some sort of placatory gesture. Why on earth doesn't he show some ambition to prove himself elsewhere? These guys should be aiming to be the best they can possibly be, big fish in the largest pool there is. I find it pathetic and a sad reflection on the aspirations and mentality of home-grown players.
Steve McManaman is an excellent example of a player that made it work. Granted he had difficult times out there, but the fans absolutely loved him and he progressed his career a great deal. I'm really not sure exactly why British players generally don't make the move. It is unfortunate though.
Very few of our players have ever cut it abroad and I think part of it is the reticence or inability to learn a foreign language. Bloody hell, Rooney hasn't mastered English yet! Lineker was decent, Waddle did well and Owen gave it a go but generally it is not a happy relationship.
lets face it, many brits aren't good abroad, no matter what their job. many refuse to learn new languages and fail to embrace new or different cultures. they like to live within their comfort zone and not push themselves too hard. obviously this is a total generalisation and plenty of people, myself included, are perfectly adept at moving to foreign lands and soaking themselves into everything that comes with it. but with the big money involved, it's just far too easy these days for top players to stay here imo.
If so, all he needs to do is come out and say it, if necessary put in a transfer request. He should be driving the move.
i completely disagree. he's obviously got a good relationship with AVB, why go and sour it? there is little he can do unless real madrid actually come in with a concrete offer - something they have failed to do despite their constant bleating about him - so bale is doing everything by the book. i wish more players took that stance! why criticise him for being professional?!
Maybe Bale don't want to unsettle his kids/family, or loyalty to the club (probably not), could be a number of reasons. In my opinion you don't need to move abroad to prove yourself.
My list of why: Fear. Adored at home. No mummy to run too if things go wrong. Idea of learning a new language to communicate would terrify the life out of them.(America a good choice at end of career as they speak the same language) Would miss the food. It takes cahones to leave the nest and I wish more of our English lads would just go for it. I am sure we would be less insular and adoring of the EPL and take a far greater interest in European leagues if more English lads were plying their trade there. Furthermore it might inspire some of our yoof to look further afield than their own back yard for employment and life changing opportunities.
No manager worth his salt will resent a player of Bale's quality wanting to go to Real Madrid; certainly not AVB, who will recognise and respect ambition mirroring his own. I don't criticise Bale behaving properly, but there is nothing improper about making one's position clear.
Tourists perhaps, I work for an international company which gives our staff plenty of opportunities for positions abroad, a lot of my colleagues who are British have worked and lived all over the world, that's not just obvious places like UAE, The States, Australia and South Africa but places like France, Spain, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Israel etc where they have learnt the language and not lived in expat communities etc.
Also, by putting in a transfer request, he sacrifices all future loyalty bonuses owed to him by Spurs. He would get them even if he moves, unless he hands in a transfer request. Because of this, transfer requests are mainly used to boost a player's wages, ala Holt, rather than to haggle a move.
I think there are many reasons, but the main for me is that britain simply does not produce enough good players. The bulk of those british players that might make a fist of it abroad are paid better here than they are likely to be in any team but for the top 2-3 in each of the top european leagues. There are of course exceptions; Bale, Rooney, Wilshire that I think have the levels of quality to illicit interest abroad. In such instances it then is down to the individual. Some; McManaman, Owen, Gazza have taken a chance and given it a go, but they are such isolated instances I think it leaves it much more daunting to those with the option. I think they often do fear the unknown, in Rooney's case as a borderline ****** the thought of learning a new language must be terrifying. On the other hand you would think with all the foreign players plying their trade on these shores that they would aquire some of the curiousity and ambition to try their hand in a foreign land. But what do they hear from their foreign colleagues? Afterall they are in the EPL for a reason (Money mainly). Have uniteds foreign contingent told Rooney he would be mad not to play abroad? Is CR saying that playing in spain is incomparably good to the EPL? (Or would he like to return as is rumoured- more paper nonsense probably) Bah!
Sadly I think another reason is the professionalism expected away from the game in Europe. Very few European players drink during their careers. Most European clubs expect this of their top players.
The truth is, for the vast majority of British players, their qualities are not the kind desired abroad.
Yes indeed. But even the ones who have, by and large don't. Ryan Giggs, for example; he has spent his entire career at Man Utd. I find that mystifying.
Very interesting thread, and I think there are really two separate discussions. The first is why aren't there more English players playing in foreign leagues, and the second is why have certain players decided to remain here? On the second point, you do have to wonder why the likes of Gerrard, Giggs, Lampard and Cole haven't given it a go. It's a sad state of affairs that Joey Barton has been the standard bearer on this front. On the more general point, I think the answer must be that the foreign clubs in the main just don't rate the English players - presumably lack of technical ability being chief among the reasons.
I find that a remarkable achievement you don't see a lot nowadays. If he's happy at Man United and loves the club, why would he want to play for a different team?
Completely agree. How can someone find loyalty mystifying? That is surely one of the absolute best traits to have, not only as a footballer, but as a person?
