Across the UK, an estimated 10,000 boys play in professional football academies, chasing the dream to one day become a professional footballer.

But according to a study by The Athletic, only 0.5% of that number go on to play football at a professional level, with the rest being released from an incredibly high-pressure environment, after having spent a large portion of their life in the system.

The impact of the rejection, as well as the years of pressure on a young boy to keep their dream alive, can have a deep psychological effect on a player.

The British Psychological Society (BPS) are advocating for more funding to be provided to help support the mental health of young players in football academies.

Danny Morley, a member of the BPS, has done research into the matter and knows how common the problem is amongst the young boys who have had their dreams crushed.

He said: “It’s more common than people realise.

“In my research, I interviewed six lads, four or five of them had fairly significant mental health problems.

“In my own private practice, I’ve helped player’s who were released 10 to 15 years ago and still haven’t recovered.”

The BPS are calling on the FA, Premier League and EFL, to provide more support throughout the football pyramid, so that academy players can get the help they need during and after their time in the system

Danny believes even a basic amount of psychological support could go a long way.

He said: “I think for young lads just to have access to psychotherapy within that system and to make it mandatory, it would make a big difference.

“There has to be a lot more effort from these clubs to take ownership of these lads who have been in their environment for so long.

“At the moment, it’s not good enough to be honest.”

Joe Barnes, a former academy player who was released by Brentford at the age of 15, would also like to see more done to support players on their journeys, having had a negative experience of the system.

He said: “We didn’t really have any real support system to help us if we were struggling.

“I think there should be more thorough regulation of the practices within academies, mandatory aftercare being one of them.

“I normalised it at the time, because I thought if I did what they told me to do, I would become a footballer.

“That’s a real power that academies hold over children.”

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