A friend of mine has a 6 year old boy, who has just joined a Premier League clubs pre-academy group. After speaking to some of the parents, he has found out that some of the boys there (6 and 7 year olds) play 3-4 matches at the weekend and train everyday, sometimes twice.
I think that is too much and have advised against following suit, but was wondering if anyone here thinks their body now suffers from playing too much football at a young age? Or maybe not and you are fine?
Edit: I’m not looking for pro footballers opinions, anyone at any level.
I started playing around 6 or 7 up until my muscle tear around 16. I think it gave me balance but more important is it gave me mental acuity and tactical wisdom. I used to play as a cm, I had to not only see where to make passes, how to find space but also learn how to make decisions and I’ve found that, the way I determine which decisions to make have been influenced by football. Football is such a circumstantial and decision-based game, that’s why players like Iniesta, Messi, De Bruyne etc. are the best among a sea of really talented players, because they not only see things others can’t see, but their decision making and how they reach those decisions is something really worth taking note not just in Football but in life as a whole.