Pursing A Professional Football Contract Abroad: First Hand Experience and Tips for Trials

Alyssa White

Playing football overseas can provide young talent with many exciting opportunities such as experiencing different cultures, learning new languages, and adapting to new styles of play. However, it also comes with its own set of challenges and considerations players should take into account before buying their plane ticket. Speaking from personal experience as a female footballer that left the US to play overseas, I've had my fair share of obstacles and complications with the process.

Finding a Team and Getting Scouted

First off, the hardest challenge initially is finding where you'll play overseas. Many players in the US don't have connections in Europe or Australia, forcing them to sign with agents they've never met. If you're coming out of the college game or starting off like I did right out of high school going abroad, the two paths will look very different. But nevertheless, both require creating a foot print abroad.

How to Get Your Foot in the Door?

Everyone's first journey overseas can look different. If you came from college and have an established reputation with a lot of game footage and highlights, agents can have an easier time promoting you to clubs. If you're like me and decided to go right from high school, you might have to start at a trial camp, or an academy to initially build contacts in Europe. Unless you were playing with the Youth National Teams in your country, it can be difficult to have a big enough football CV to look attractive to agents or pro clubs. My suggestion is to first try to make connection on your own and send out your footage and CV like many young players do to college coaches in the US before ECNL tournaments.

You Have To Walk Through The Door...

When I came to be individually assessed in England I remember FT4UK's head coach, Andy Smith, telling me, "he can bring me to the door but he can't walk through it for me." Trials can be very stressful and scary to a lot of players especially if it's in a completely new country. I've now done trials in Spain, England, and Germany so I understand how difficult it can be adapting to a completely new environment. But here's the silver lining... no one has seen you before, there are only expectations to be exceeded. Shift your perspective and remember that at the end of the day football is a form of entertainment so enjoy it and you'll be fun for the coaches to watch.

Focus On What You Can Control

The deal with international trials and trying to play overseas is there are going to be a lot of circumstances that don't go your way because of things out of your control. Visa problems are probably the biggest and most frustrating factor. Unless you want to study and play football you're looking at trying to get a club to pay for your visa. Now in the men's game this is much easier as more clubs have the means, but in the women's game its near impossible unless you're in the top two leagues. So that being said, you could easily have done very well at a trial and speaking as someone that has seen many of my teammates not join teams due to visa issues it can leave you feeling very frustrated and disappointed when they can't afford to give you a sports or professional contract.

Benefits to Playing Abroad

Now with all the possible obstacles and challenges I've mentioned. I would also like to state for the record that I wouldn't change any of what I've gone through in my football journey. Learning new cultures, languages, and playing styles, has shaped me as a player in ways that would've never happened if I stayed and played in college back in the US. I've learned invaluable insights into European football and seen just how ingrained it is into everyday life here. Even if you're a European wishing to play in the US, I think that its also just as valuable of an experience. I personally prefer European football because of the styles of play and how suits my skill set. But to add to the skills you'll develop overseas... you will without a doubt learn how to deal with uncertainty and develop discipline. Being only accountable to yourself in the times in between finding a team and having to train by yourself, also shows your dedication. When no one is watching you and you have no guarantee of where you'll play next. The self-discipline you have to have is tremendous and yet one of the best qualities you'll come out of this process with.

Is Playing Abroad For You?

Playing overseas isn't for everyone. You'll deal with many doubts from others and maybe not even a lot of support. So it's up to you to decide how badly you want it. I also don't mean the admiration that comes along with finding big success in the game, but how badly do you want to train day in and day out, with no guarantees of a payoff. Are you okay with being on your own away from family and friends for months? Can you deal with the logistics of travel and learning new languages? Are you willing to put yourself out there?

These are the questions you have to ask yourself....

But know that with no risk comes no story.

If you want to see more of my football journey check out my Youtube Channel!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9KG9puJ0QxX4fApDRIaHg

If you want to take the first steps into playing abroad and getting scouted... check out Football Trials UK to apply for a trial camp https://www.ft4uk.com/