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Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha discusses difficulty of making it in football
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has discussed the difficulties of making it in football stating that “the majority of people do not make it”.
The now-retired defender made over 400 career appearances, including 188 Premier League appearances for three different clubs.
However, the 35-year-old has now opened up about the difficulties of making it as a pro, and his early beginnings in the game.
Speaking on the Talk Your Talk Podcast, Onuoha said: “For most people in football, it ends up being a nightmare.
“The vast majority of people do not make it.
“Even when you are doing well, you need a lot of good fortune to go on to be great.”
Studying while playing?
The defender, who was born in Nigeria, had a route into the game that was far from the typical route that many other players have taken into football.
As his parents were highly educated, they placed a high amount of importance on school and degrees and were adamant that their son would follow in their footsteps.
Follow in their footsteps he did, as while coming through the youth ranks at City and making some first team appearances for the club, Onuoha continued studying and left school with high GCSE and A-Level grades.
The media analyst and podcast host has discussed the heavy influence that his parents’ mentality had on him as a child and how their ideologies still resonate with him today.
Education was very important in his family, and he has jokingly revealed that while other players would relax after training, he would be studying for his exams.
All the hard work paid off for the defender, who went on to make 116 appearances for his boyhood club as well as representing England at under-21 level.
In other Manchester City news, the club have rejected an offer from Southampton for striker, Liam Delap.