Getafe youth coach Alex Clapham talks to young academy players who are as close to stardom as they are to obscurity
“One late tackle and it could be all over. Every player knows that,” says the 19-year-old striker. He falls silent for a second and peers down at his feet with an apprehensive look. “This game is all about luck. One good moment can make you and one bad moment can finish you.”
“I remember playing for my local team in a tournament and I’d had a nightmare of a weekend. We had two games a day and I can’t remember completing a pass over the three days. The ball was bouncing off me, I was missing easy chances, nothing was working. Atlético Madrid were there, Rayo, Getafe, Real Madrid; all the top teams in the region. Somehow, even with me, we got to the final.”