At What Age Did The Best Soccer Players Go To A Professional Soccer Academy

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At What Age Did The Best Soccer Players Go To A Professional Soccer Academy? This is an important question. Although scouts are getting the kids on board at an increasingly younger age, this might be not the right choice for you or your child. Looking back into history it can be seen that the legends of the past started at a professional youth soccer club at all ages. A lot of players that ended up best of the world were rejected by many youth academies. Furthermore, in many cases, the best soccer players in the world were found to be too thin, light or just not good enough.

What Is The Average Age The Best Players Started At A Professional Youth Academy

The average age of the best players in the world starting at a professional soccer academy is almost 14 years. Furthermore, most golden ball winners are 15 years old when they started playing for their first professional soccer academy. The graph below describes the winners of the golden ball in different years. The golden ball is awarded every year since 1956 and is judged by football journalists and consists of numbers 1,2 and 3. This list is not perfect (for example, Pele and Maradona were never chosen). But it provides a good estimation of some of the best soccer players in history. As the graph below describes, there is a trend of golden ball winners and runners up becoming younger. This is in line with scouting being done at a younger age. Being scouted at a younger age is not an indication of talent or potential. Some players who became the best in the world only started at a professional club at age 22! while others started as young as 5-6 years old.

How Many Years Do You Have To Play Professional To Become The Best

On average a player has to play almost 9 years of professional soccer before becoming the top 3 players in the world. This is after their youth soccer years. Sir Stanley was a professional for 22 years before becoming the best, while Beckenbauer only needed 2 years to be amongst the best. Overall in the last 60 years, the years needed to become the best have been relatively stable.

Chariristics Of The Best Soccer Players In The World

Overall the best soccer players in the world have an average height and weight. Sports like basketball and boxing may require specific height and weight requirements, but soccer seems to have none.

The average height of the best soccer players is 176 cm. The average height of the best goalies in the world is almost 190 cm (186.3 cm). This means that the chance of becoming a world-class goalie when you are below 180 cm are slim. See the graph below.

The average weight of the best soccer players in the world is 73.8 kg. The heaviest players ever to win the golden ball were goalies. Both Neuer and Buffon weigh 92 KG, while Allan Simonsen weighed 59 kg. See the graph below.

At What Age Did The Player(s) Become The Best

Like mentioned before, the average golden ball winner is a professional for 9 years before winning the award. The average golden ball winner is about 26.1 years old. The oldest golden ball winner was 41 years old (Sir Stanley Matthews) while many winners were 20 years old.

The Difference Between Goalie, Defense, Midfield and Attack

To see the difference between the best soccer players in the world, we can subdivide them in their positions on the field Looking at keepers (goal), attackers, defenders, and midfielders players. Defenders are often late starters at professional soccer schools. While goalies are chosen first, followed by midfield players, and lastly attackers.

The biggest difference in height is seen in the keepers. The keepers are on average 10 cm taller than midfield players, while defenders are taller than the attackers.

The weight of golden ball winners per position is interesting. While attackers are taller in height than midfield players, they are lighter than the same midfield players. This could be one reason why attackers are among the fasters players.

Golden ball winners that were chosen to be the best were on average almost 27 years. Although keepers are above 30 years old, the attackers are amongst the youngest winners.

Let’s Have A Look At Who Went To Professional Youth Academy At What Age

Age 5

• 2014 3rd; Manuel Peter Neuer was 5-6 years when he started at Schalke 04

Age 6

• 2001 3rd; Oliver Kahn started at age 6 at Karlsruher SC
• 1995 3rd; Jari Litmanen started at age 6 with Reipas.
• 2004 3rd; Ronaldo de Assis Moreira Ronaldinho Gaúcho started at age 6-7 at Gremio

Age 7

• 2007 3rd; Messi started at Newell’s Old Boys at 7 years

Age 8

• 1987 2nd; Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre started playing at age 7-8 years old with the club Clube Desportivo de Montijo, which was a professional club at that time
• 1972 2nd; Günter Netzer joined 1 FC Mönchengladbach when he was 8. Netzer joined the professionals when he was 19 years old.
• 1982 2nd; Alain Giresse started at age 8 years of age at Bordeaux.
• 2007 1st; Kaka Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite was 8 years old

Age 9

• 1996 1st; Matthias Sammer was 8-9 years old Dynamo Dresden
• 1999 3rd; Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko started at age 9 at Dynamo Kyiv
• 1976 3rd; Oleg Vladimirovich Blokhin was 9 years old he started at his first professional soccer academy.
• 1991 1st; Jean-Pierre Roger Guillaume Papin was accepted at the famous INF Vichy at age 9.
• 2005 3rd; Steven Gerrard 9 years old at Liverpool

Age 10

• 1975 1st; Oleg Vladimirovich Blokhin was 10 years old when he started playing for
  Dynamo Kyiv
• 1982 3rd; Zbigniew Boniek started at age 10 with Zawisza Bydgoszcz.
• 1991 2nd; Darko Pančev started at age 10 at the famous Vardar academy
• 1994 3rd; Paolo Maldini 10 years old AC Milan
• 2007 2nd; Ronaldo started at 10 years Nacional
• 2018 1st; Luka Modrić was 10 years old when he was signed to the famous youth academy Zadar.
• 2010 2nd; Andrés Iniesta started at Albacete at 10 years
• 1971 1st; Johan Cruyff was 10 years old when he started playing for AJAX. Cruyff was called a shrimp, because of his thin body.
• 1960 3rd; Uwe Seeler, started playing at professional youth academy at age 10 at Hamburger SV.
• 1956, 3rd; Raymond Kopa Kopaszewski was a French player who started at 10 with Noeux-les-Mines FC.
• 2001 1st; Michael James Owen started at age 10-11 years of age at Liverpool

Age 11

• 1992 2nd; Dennis Bergkamp started at AJAX at 11
• 2008 3rd; Fernando José Torres Sanz Atlético Madrid 11 years
• 2009 3rd; Xavier Hernández Creus went to Barcelona at age 11.
• 2015 3rd; Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior at 11 Santos, Portuguesa Santista began at age 7
• 1967 1st; Flórián Albert was 11 years old when he was selected by coaches from Ferencváros. Albert scored 2 times in his debut, and Albert was Cruyff’s idol.
• 1977 1st; Allan Rodenkam Simonsen started at age 11 with Vejle FC

Age 12

• 1978 1st; Krankel was spotted at age 12 by Rapid Wien.
• 1999 2nd; David Robert Joseph Beckham was 12 years when he played at Tottenham hotspurs. He played with his dad until it became dark at night.
• 1960 2nd; Ferenc Puskás, started playing at a soccer club at age 12. Puskas would become one of the best in the world.
• 1989 2nd; Franco Baresi started at age 12 with Internationale Milan, he was quickly rejected because coaches thought he was too small and light. he tried AC Milan and was accepted.
• 2000 1st; Figo moved from U.F.C. Os Pastilhas at 12-13 years to Sporting CP
• 2001 2nd; Raúl González Blanco started at Athletico Madrid at 12-13
• 1986 1st; Igor Belanov started at age 12-13 years at the Ukrainian club Chornomorets Odessa
• 2003 1st; Pavel Nedved started at age 12-13 RH Cheb

Age 13

• 1963 2nd; Gianni Rivera “Italian Golden Boy” was pick up by a Serie A professional academy at age 13.
• 2006 2nd; Gianluigi Buffon was 13 years old when he entered Parma
• 2013 3rd; Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry was 13 years old when he joined Lille. He was released from the youth academy after a broken elbow and he was considered “too small”.
• 1969 3rd; Gerd muller was 13 years old when he joined a semi-professional youth academy
• 1996 2nd; Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was 13 years old, Before this, Ronaldo was playing futsal.
• 1993 2nd; Roberto Baggio went to L.R. Vicenza Virtus from the local side of Caldogno at age 13. He went to Vicenza and started playing for the first team at age 17.
• 1967 2nd; Jimmy Johnstone was 13-14 years old when he moved to Celtic.

Age 14

• 1957 2nd; William Ambrose Wright, Willam only started playing at a professional club ( Wolverhampton Wanderers) at age 14. He was accepted after a trial.
• 1964 1st; Dennis Law started at age 14 with the youth academy Huddersfield Town. During his trial, the manager said; “The boy’s a freak. Never did I see a less likely football prospect – weak, puny and bespectacled.”
• 1966 3rd; Franz Beckenbauer was 14 years old when he went to Bayern Munchen. When he played professional he started as a left-winger.
• 1962 1st; Josef Masopust started playing at age 14 in the youth academy of lower league team ZSJ Uhlomost Most. After playing there for 5 years he played in the top Czech league at age 19.
• 1995 1st; George Weah started in Young Survivors Claratown at age 14 before going to France.
• 1959 3rd; John Charles started playing at age 14 for the English club Swansea Town.
• 1991 2nd; Dejan Savićević began 14 OFK Titograd.
• 1997 3rd; Zinedine Yazid Zidane started at age 14.
• 1960 1st; Luiz Suarez. Luiz started playing for a professional soccer academy club at age 14. After 4 years in the academy, he was playing professionally.
• 2016 3rd; Antoine Griezmann began his professional youth career at age 14 at
  Real Sociedad.
• 2003 2nd; Thiery Henry started at the soccer youth academy at age INF Clairefontaine at 14-15 years.
• 1995 2nd; Jürgen Klinsmann went to lower league professional club Stuttgarter Kickers at age 14-15
• 2006 1st; Fabio Cannavaro was 14-15 years when he started at Napoli. Cannavaro became a legend at Napoli by tackling Maradonna.

Age 15

• 1968 1st; George Best. Best was scouted at age 15, the scout noted: “I think I’ve found you a genius.”. before that, the local club Glentoran found Best to be too light and small.
• 1968 3rd; Dragan Džajić started at age 15 at Red Star Belgrade. He was picked up by famous youth coach Miljan Miljanić. after 6 months of playing in the youth division, he made his debut in the first team.
• 1993 3rd; Eric Cantona was 15 years old before going to Auxerre. After problems Cantona quick football in 1991, after which he started playing in England.
• 1957 3rd; Duncan Edwards joined Manchester United at age 15, becoming a professional 1 year later.
• 1956 1st; Sir Stanley Matthews is the first best player in the world. Sir Matthews started at Stoke city at 15 years of age. Stanley would spend hours at home countless hours dribbling in between the kitchen chairs. When he was voted the best in the world, Stanley was 41 years old.
• 1961 3rd; John Norman Haynes starting playing soccer at age 15 at Fulham. Pele called him “best passer of the ball I’ve ever seen”
• 1962 2nd; Eusébio da Silva Ferreira played on the streets and started when he was 15 years old after being rejected by Benfica.
• 1996 3rd; Alan Shearer was 15 years old when he went from Wallsend Boys Club to Southhampton
• 1963 3rd; Jimmy Greaves began at age 15 at the London soccer club Chelsea.
• 1966 1st; Sir Robert Charlton was 15-16 years old before going to Manchester United. Bobby put a slipper on his right foot to improve his left foot.
• 1998 2nd; Davor Šuker; was 15-16 years of age starting at Osijek.
• 1998 2nd; Gary Lineker started for Leicester city at age 15-16 years. His teacher complained that Lineker “concentrates too much on football” and that he would “never make a living at that”
• 1984 3rd; Preben Elkjær started playing professional soccer at age 18 when he left Frederiksberg BK. He played one season at a professional soccer club at age 15-16 at Kjøbenhavns Boldklub.
• 2005 2nd; Frank Lampard started at age 15-16 with west ham united.

Age 16

• 1987 1st; Ruud Gullit started at amateur club Meerboys at age 10. then moved to DWS which was an amateur since 1972. Gullit started at a professional club at age 16 when he started playing for FC Haarlem
• 1977 2nd; Kevin Keegan started at age 16 Scunthorpe United after he was rejected by  Coventry City
• 1961 1st; Omar Sivori only started playing at the professional club River plate (at their fourth team) at the age of 16.
• 1980 1st; Bernd Schuster when to FC Augsburg at age 16, 5 years later he was seen as one of the best in the world.
• 1983 2nd; Kenny Dalglish started playing at the amateur club Cumbernauld United at age 16, before age 17 year going to Celtic. Dalglish tried test matches for Liverpool and West Ham but was rejected.
• 1982 1st; Rossi started at age 16-17 years at Juventus. Rossi came from Cattolica Virtus.
• 1992 2nd; Hristo Stoichkov started at age 16 at lower division team Hebros
• 2004 2nd; Deco started at age 16-17 playing for Nacional (SP). After that Deco signed with the famous club Corinthians.
• 1988 1st; Marco van Basten started at AJAX at age 16-17. At age 15 van Basten was advised to stop playing soccer due to his non-optimal ankles. He took a break from soccer for almost a year.
• 2002 2nd; Roberto Carlos worked until age 12 at the factory. Carlos used to fill the ball with sand and shot the ball. The age at which he became professional is most likely 16-17.
• 1999 1st; Rivaldo started at age 16-17 at Paulistano. Rivaldo had bowlegs and his coaches never thought that Rivaldo had a chance.
• 1958 3rd; Just Fontaine; started playing for the Algerian team Wydad Athletic Club at age 16-17 before going to nice.

Age 17

• 1956 1st; When Kopa was 17 he successfully finished a trial and started playing at a second league club
• 1956 2nd; Alfredo Di Stéfano, played soccer in the streets until he was accepted at River Plate after a trail. Di Stéfano was already 17 years old.
• 1990 2nd; Salvatore Schillaci reportedly only started playing field soccer at age 16. TOTO always played on the streets, he became professional at age 17.
• 1971 2nd; Sandro Mazzola was 17 years old.
• 1977 3rd; Michel Platini only started playing at age 17, after he was rejected by Metz 2 times
• 1988 3rd; Frank Rijkaard started at age 17 with AJAX. Rijkaard grew up in the same neighborhood as Gullit and always played soccer on the streets.
• 1986 3rd; Emilio Butragueño Santos was rejected in his youth for Real Madrid. His father organized another trail he was accepted at age 17-18.

Age 18

• 1969 2nd; Luigi Riva was 18 years old when playing for Legnano
• 1976 2nd; Rob Rensebrink started playing for the Dutch professional club DWS when he was 18 years old.
• 1965 1st; Giacinto Facchetti began at a professional club at age 18.
• 1981 2nd; Paul Breitner started at age 18 with the german club Bayern Munchen. Breiner’s father was a soccer coach.
• 1990 1st; Lothar Herbert Matthäus left FC Herzogenaurach at age 18 to go to Borussia Mönchengladbach
• 1974 3rd; Kazimierz Deyna was 18-19 years old. Due to the authorities, he not was allowed to play for many top clubs.
• 1979 2nd; Karl-Heinz “Kalle” Rummenigge was around 18-19 when he bought from amateur club Borussia Lippstadt for about 10.000 euro.
• 1979 3rd; Ruud Krol was 18-19 when he went to AJAX from amateur club Rood Wit. Ruud Krol became one of the best in the world on the left defense position. Only after joining AJAX he would work on his left foot.

Age 19

• 1962 3rd; Karl-Heinz Schnellinge started at the amateur soccer club SG Düren 99. Karl played there for 8 years. FC Koln picked him up when he was 19 years old.
• 1964 2nd; Amancio Amaro only started playing at Deportivo La Coruña at age 19, after playing 4 years for a local team.
• 1973 1st; Dino Zoff was 14 years old after being found to short for both Inter Milan and Juventus, Zoff grew 33 cm in 5 years and become a professional at age 19.

Age 20

• 1990 3rd; Andreas Brehme became professional at age 20 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
• 1984 2nd; Amadou Jean Tigana only started playing professionally at age 20! Tiganalate played at an amateur club while employed in a spaghetti factory and then as a postman.

Age 21

• 1963 1st; Lev Yashin. Considered the best goalie in history, Yashin only started playing at the age of 18 and only became professional at the age of 21.

Age 22

• 1958 2nd; Helmut Rahn started playing at age 9 at a lower division club ( SV Altenessen 1912). From that club, he moved to SC Oelde 1919 at age 17. He started his professional career at age 22.

Predrag Mijatović played at many professional youth academies but dates are not available, probably due to the wars in Yugoslavia.

Pele was never selected as a player of the year. However, Pele was chosen as player of the century. In line with the other players, Pele only player with a professional soccer club at age 15. Maradona was also never selected as a player of the year but got number 2 as a player in the century. Maradona was playing for a selected satellite club of the professional club Argentinos Juniors at a young age.

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