Any 15- or 16-year-olds who should be revising for their mock GCSEs are probably finding that the end of December is a testing time of year. For those in academy football, it can often be make or break. While the very best – such as Arsenal’s record-breaking Max Dowman, who made headlines in October when he agreed terms on a scholarship deal – secured their futures in good time, many discovered their fates just before the 31 December deadline.
“It’s always the sort of classic breakup. It’s not you, it’s us,” says Dr Chris Platts, who has studied the academy system for more than a decade and offers support to young players and their families. “Being released before Christmas isn’t nice for a kid. Then they’ve got about five months before their GCSEs and those five months are now going to include a lot of trials and uncertainty going into the following year.”
