Is Loyalty in Soccer Dead?

On Saturday 2nd August one of footballs most loyal servants was honoured with a testimonial match. For twelve years Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wore the Number twenty shirt at Manchester United. Perhaps the now retired Solskjaer was part of a dying breed. The Norwegian wore the united jersey with pride and loyalty. It has become a rarity in the modern game to see a professional show such commitment to a club.

Footballers (soccer players) have become self-centred, disloyal and money driven, with all but a few exceptions. Long gone are the days when a player kissed the badge on his shirt and meant it. Quite simply, for the players, money talks. Even the most successful and illustrious of clubs struggle to retain their stars at the end of each season. Every summer we are subjected to the latest wants of the modern day star who feels that being paid £60,000 per week is an insult. Each summer is marred with at least one saga, this year the most notable is that of Cristiano Ronaldo. A player who currently earns over £100,000 per week as it is.

Who is responsible for this? If you ask any soccer fan they will have different opinions. For me the greed of the modern game is caused by the player’s agents.

Look at Nicolas Anelka, a player with bags of ability, which is more often than not overshadowed by the ego of the French star, an ego which has earned him the tag “le sulk”. A player whose potential has never been fully realised, Anelka has had spells at some of the biggest clubs in the game including Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool and currently Chelsea. Anelka is the most paid for player in soccer history with his total transfer value reaching more than eighty-five million British pounds ($170m). Since Anelka left his first club Paris Saint-Germain in 1997 he has played for eight clubs.

Anelka possesses at least as much natural ability as Solskjaer, and has played in teams with just as much potential as Solskjaer has at Manchester United. However the only thing Anelka can claim to have more of than Solskjaer is money. This can be attributed to his agent who like most agents in the modern game enjoys a nice bonus from each transfer their clients make. Anelka has allowed the greed of his agents and advisors take over his career.

In twelve years with United Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won six English Premier League titles, two F.A Cups, one League Cup, four Community Shields an Intercontinental Cup and most notably the European Champions League scoring the winning goal in the last seconds of the game. Which perhaps most importantly for Solskjaer won him a place in Manchester United history, from that moment and for the rest of Manchester United’s history Solskjaer has been and will be forever viewed as a cult hero. The banner “20LEGEND” adorns Man Utd’s famous Stretford end where the fans regardless of whether or not Solskjaer was on the pitch chant his name.

Anelka has enjoyed success in the form of one English Premier League title, an F.A Cup, and a Champions League title and a Turkish League title.

Perhaps Anelka will be able to enjoy retirement more than Solskjaer but when he looks back on his career will he be as happy as Solskjaer can be when he looks back on his? Surely as a boy playing football on the streets of Versailles in France Anelka did not dream of becoming a professional footballer to see how much money he could make? He like Solskjaer, when he was young must of dreamt of becoming the next Van Basten or Maradona not about how many cars or houses he would have. Despite popular belief amongst most modern day footballer’s money is not the only way in which professionals will be rewarded. The loyalty of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been and it will continue to be rewarded. Ask yourself these questions who do you want your children to aspire to? Do you want them to dream of becoming the next Solskjaer or the next Anelka?