Former England coach Glenn Hoddle explains why he is trying to help footballers grab another opportunity.
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle tells Peter Fraser why he is trying to help footballers grab another opportunity
Ex-England bosses seem to have a bit of a habit for doing the unexpected. From Don Revie moving to the United Arab Emirates in 1977 to Sven Goran Eriksson becoming director of football at Notts County in the summer, to do the unusual is tradition.
For the past 14 months Glenn Hoddle, Three Lions chief from 1996 to 1999, has also opted for something different. He has snubbed offers for a return to management in order to pursue an alternative venture. But while one of his successors is forced to bat off wisecracks about the motivation for dropping to League Two level when the perks of Nottingham's girl-to-boy ratio are kept in mind, he faces no such problems.
In June 2008 the former Swindon, Chelsea, Southampton, Tottenham and Wolves chief opened the Glenn Hoddle Academy at the luxury Montecastillo Resort in Jerez in southern Spain with the aim of offering selected young footballers, who have been rejected by professional clubs, the opportunity of a trial before supplying training and guidance to find a way back into the game, handing a 'second chance'.
This summer Ikechi Anya famously earned a contract at Primera Liga giants Sevilla as the Academy's first major success story, while Dave Cowley and Lino Goncalves have joined Recreativo Huelva on two-year contracts and Chris Fagan joined Lincoln City almost three months ago.
With a one-year anniversary in the back pocket, Hoddle, who is assisted by coaches Dave Beasant, Nigel Spackman, Graham Rix and scout George Foster, is understandably delighted with progress. The 51-year-old confesses the experience has been tough and educational work, however, he has no complaints and is now looking forward.
"It has been eye opening and it has been positive - very positive," he says. "I suppose that if we wrote the story, we could not have scripted it any better. To get players that have been released from clubs, to redevelop them and get them back into the game, give them that second chance, is something that myself and everyone involved with the Academy have worked hard at.
"The story of Ikechi Anya coming to us for trials from amateur football, he was out of the picture, out of the game. He came to trials, we took him, developed him, changed his position and he signed for Sevilla about three or four weeks ago.
"The concept, all wrapped up in one, we could not have had a better example of what this Academy is all about. But it is not really an Academy. I know we named it that, but it is more of a professional development club in a way. Ikechi cannot believe the opportunity he has been given. He now has the chance over the next few years to try and get a first-team place with Sevilla.
"So it is beginning to unfold. Even now we are looking for new recruits. We have had trials over the last few weeks and we have got Spanish players and a couple of Brazilian players coming over as well so it has been really successful."
Hoddle's management of England ended infamously to push an underrated tenure into the shadows. But his time in charge of the national team was memorable and his astute rolling-striker tactics after David Beckham had been sent off in the eventual penalty shoot-out defeat to Argentina in the 1998 World Cup epic are deservedly hailed. Prior to that, he was an excellent player with boyhood club Tottenham before Monaco, Swindon and Chelsea. So he has managed and played at the top, experiencing what is required to get there.
In comparison with his apprenticeship at White Hart Lane - which involved the odd perk of being told to climb to the roof of the stadium to polish the landmark cockerel, "On a sunny day you could see right across London. We used to pretend it took us about five hours and we sunbathed up there." - his Academy is a glamorous alternative for players.
Among the sunshine, swimming pools, golf courses and privilege of working with an ex-England manager at Montecastillo, it is imagined that it would be easy for recruits to become carried away by the grandeur of the lifestyle. Hoddle, though, insists that is not the case.
"It is a beginning and it brings it back to them," he explains. "We drive that into the players. Some of them have gone to clubs on trial and for whatever reason, maybe it is physique or numbers associated to financial reasons, it has not worked for them. But, I would not want to use the word desperate, their motivation is very high.
"We had maybe 900 applicants. We had to whittle that down, we cannot cope with that. You have youngsters being released by clubs and I want to try and do something about it. I think there is a lot of potential slipping through the net. The motivation there is massive because this is a second chance. You do not get a third chance, normally, in life. We are changing peoples' lives, which is a wonderful feeling."
Conversation then turns to another possible success story. Paul Harrison, who was a year below this journalist at school and university, has had trials with Exeter and Spanish outfit Jerez Industrial, and is now looking elsewhere for a potential contract. Hoddle has high hopes for the versatile 24-year-old after spotting him in action for Leeds Metropolitan Carnegie.
"Paul is just having a second trial in Spain," he says. "So, fingers crossed, hopefully he will get back into the Spanish game. It did not quite work out for him at the last Spanish club (Jerez Industrial) for different reasons, not because they didn't think he was a good player. He has done really well and has really improved. He is close to getting a club, so that would be another great story for the Academy."
When it is suggested that maybe scouting improvements are required if the ability of yours truly, a centre-back with dodgy knees who cannot head, was missed at the time when Harrison was identified, Hoddle sees the funny side.
"You must have just slipped through," he laughs. "I must have blinked when you were playing." Harsh, but fair. Snubbed by Hoddle. Now I know how Gazza felt in 1998.
There is, however, a serious side and there are overall concerns amidst the triumphant tales of a debut year. In the current climate of the global financial crisis, Hoddle admits that it remains uncertain whether the Academy, which generates funds by receiving development fees from clubs that sign players, has a long-term future.
"This is a full-time baby. It is big, big project. We have had investment, but whether this goes on for the next five, six, seven years and becomes bigger - we are in a key year. We do need more finances and sponsorship and we are looking at ways to become more commercial," he says.
"We have development fees coming in for players, but at the moment we are at the beginning and cannot demand big fees for these players. If these players go on and play in the first team, and make a certain number of appearances, then that will really make sense on a business side. But that will take time.
"At the moment we find ourselves in a key position where we have to get more finances and become more commercial with a bit more investment, so it is a really big year. It has been hard work putting it together. It is hard working at it at the moment and we are beginning to see some fruit. But we are at a crossroads with the financial side where we are looking to kick on."
Glenn Hoddle was speaking at the announcement of Pay What You Want, a new initiative where you can own video game Championship Manager 2010 for as little as 1p. To order your copy log on to www.championshipmanager.co.uk ahead of 10th September.
