Also fairly common for careers to disappoint after being rushed in too early

James Vaughan, Smith-Rowe,

Even Owen to a certain extent. He was basically broken by 24.

I think there are many more aspects than talent or footballing ability they need to have at that age for it to be a safe, wise decision. First of all the physical side. Rooney was strong as an ox at 16 and would bully first team centre backs already. Bellingham too. Then there’s the mental side of it. Maturity. Being ready to deal with failure as well as success under intense media scrutiny. Look at the difference between Schwartau and Jurasek and how they have reacted to adversity.

And finally the technical aspects of the game - reading it, positioning, patterns - if you get those wrong or hesitate to think about it then it’s far more likely you can make a mistake and get the crowd on your back, or even get injured.

Posted By: Legacy Fan, Mar 17, 10:37:41