What’s the Problem with Age in Football? - Ali's Words

Recently we signed our last squad player. Not only was he a great guy, but a very talented football player, the only concern was his age. He had just turned 25. Since football offers a short career, hence it is not an ideal age to start off as a professional player. Technically, no doubt he was a very strong player who ticked all the boxes, so the big question here was if you can or should sign a 25-year-old.

Obviously, we are entering the third division where there will be a lot of men playing. We want our young athletes to have older players around them who bring consistency. Our strategy and focus have always been on talent discovery and player development. Usually, we recruit 18 to 20-year-old boys. The advantage of having young boys is that they have a lot of years ahead for football training and have room to polish their skills. They are provided conditions and time to succeed. 

As a club, signing a 25-year-old doesn’t promise any return on investment (ROI) and that is where the age factor plays a huge part. ROI is very important for a club when signing up players. If you identify athletic potential and recruit talent at an early stage it has organizational benefits. When a young player is given a chance you increase the lifespan of a team and return on investment for the club, hence the preference for young athletes has always been there.

Signing an older player even if he is performing well means the time to give their best is limited and consequently the return on investment is also limited. Clubs evaluate if the effort and time spent on old players will pay off or not. Many clubs do not want to take risks or gamble so they choose younger talent. It is unfair to the player as well because he has probably spent most of his adult life in this field trying to become a professional player. 

If you sign a player for a 2-year contract at this point when he is 25 then there isn’t a bright future awaiting him. At 27, no one will take him or invest in him. But there are always exceptions. Fortunately, the personality, character, and football attributes of this particular player were a plus point that made us sign him but everyone does not think that way. Most clubs are on the hunt for younger talent and judge you by your age.