English colleges system playing it's part?

Playing football everyday is an unbelievable privilege.

I was fortunate enough to be on a sixth form programme where I trained four times a week, sandwiching in a game on Wednesdays, and played to a good standard as well.  Once you reach sixteen it is very easy to stop playing football entirely so the idea of increasing your playing opportunities is incredibly enticing. What better way is there to spend two or three years of your life, than doing something you love?

Me (central behind ball) playing at Birmingham
City's training ground

The sixth form course I enrolled on (a BTEC Level 3 Diploma) led me on to my university course, while I also had access to complete other qualifications that I could add to my CV and improve my skills for working in the football industry. Whats more, I had some amazing experiences (overnight away trips, tour abroad, visiting academies) that I will hold with me for the rest of my life and made me a better person for them. It was fascinating to see the change in people you met at sixteen that I saw a completely different person in them two or three years later.

There are people I now know, and I am sure this is the case elsewhere too, that have been afforded the opportunity to go to university that a few years back the thought may not even have slightly attracted them. Even though I am a fairly academic person, I was not sure myself what I could do or where I could go that would benefit me when asked about my next step.

Vardy - Stocksbridge Park Steels to England Senior team

Across the country now there are various similar programmes offering males and females leaving secondary school the opportunity to combine their studies with playing football and this system is producing some exceptional footballers out of it. From my course alone, Britt Assombalonga has now had millions of pounds spent on him by Nottingham Forest and Peterborough United. I was fortunate enough myself to play in an incredible team in my second year of my course, where we romped to the league title playing stunning football and scored over one hundred goals.

Players from that team are now at Huddersfield (on the bench for the first team just last week) and Sheffield United, whilst others have gone onto play in the USA, the Phillipines and Australia and a few more are fluttering around different non league sides, who I'm sure will get their break at some point. I have heard more stories of other sixth form programmes that have had players sign with professional clubs or go on trial with them, so it is clear this is the case nationwide rather than just a one off.

So not only is this system developing people through football, by offering the chances of social mobility, a better living, a career for these young men and women but it is also a structure that is helping to develop the game of football too. These courses can be seen as potential source of revenue for some clubs, or can improve their squad by finding players missed out by the talent identification system in this country, and believe me there are many.

We have already seen the rises of Charlie Austin and Jamie Vardy to the top level, so who is to say there will not be more late developers with a big impact?