Important step for both parties

Lets face it that few of us have 'too much sympathy' for the modern day footballer do we?

They get paid bloody good money to do something that most of us could only ever dream of doing, or being able to have done.

Personally I would have loved to have made it as a professional footballer - for a few years, after I eventually managed to find a club I could play for regularly, my then manager regarded me very highly and spoke about 'potential' trials with Exeter or Torquay. Various things in my life happened and this never came about.

So, whist my 'dreams' of being a player never happened, in some way I kind of live out this dream by being involved in football - due to my work with vital football - day-in and day-out!

Anyway, back to the point...

Sympathy for footballers is not too much that we have but I think that Greg Halford, when he spoke to sky sports, raised some decent issues.

He does not want to bounce from club-to-club anymore, when he does leave Pompey - and he will, lets face it! - he wants this move to be for the long-term, ideally the rest of his career: it is going to be tough leaving because I've had a good year-and-a-half at the club and loved every minute of it.

'I'm hoping that if I do move on that it will be the last move of my career and I'll be able to earn two more contracts from them if possible.

'It will be a tough decision to pick which club is the right one for me because I feel that it is the most important move of my career.

'There are various reasons why it didn't happen for me at Wolves, but I have had plenty of moves and people have labelled me as a journeyman.

'To a point I probably have been, but this next move will hopefully be one where I can end my career.'

Staying at Fratton is something that he would have liked, and 'if' he really does enjoy it as much as he says he does I am sure he would have had he been on sustainable money, which of course he is not...

I found it interesting that he highlights Joel Ward as one of the 20% of players he 'thinks' could stay to build a squad around, with the other 80% moving on: 'I'd have loved to have stayed at the club and I haven't even left yet, but it is a difficult situation because the administrator wants all the high earners to move on so that they can bring the wages down.

'There will be a lot of players leaving over the summer, with around 80% of the current squad moving, which will leave players like Joel Ward and other young talent to help rebuild the club.

'Hopefully, they can keep some kind of nucleus intact and build a promotion push for next season.'

It would be nice if Ward could stay, and I am sure he would if he is given that chance, but he is a 'sellable asset' so he will be sold - not forgetting that his wages far exceed what we can pay out anyway.

I found it unusual to get a different take on a future move from a player, and it was interesting.

So whilst they get paid a fortune they still have to, and want to, in some instances do something that is right for their future and not always (entirely) their bank account...

PLAY UP POMPEY!



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