El Guepardo
Rafael Van Der Vaart
Hands up all those that are aged 30+ that don’t have any regrets about how they spent their lives in their 20s? And anticipate very few hands in the air, if any, and yet people are openly criticising a player that is now only 23. Yes, the player does have a responsibility to his employer, Spurs, and to himself to try to be the best that he can be but that’s more difficult said than done.
People mature at different levels. Some people start a family at 18, work hard and rise to the top quickly. Others struggle to get going, don’t know what they want to do so don’t know how to get there.
Then there are footballers who get paid crazy money at a young age, an age at which they are yet to really find their feet. It’s a huge distraction and likely something some take longer to get to terms with others.
I think that really footballers need greater support through their career and help with developing as an individual. They likely need psychological help to deal with stress and pressure; some will crumble with pressure, others will be flippant as if to ignore and downplay any problem is to get rid of it completely.
Now I have no idea where Spence falls on the above and so instead of judging where he is what I will say is… support the guy, he’s with us and he clearly has some level of talent. If he does need support I hope that he gets it from experienced heads and professionals within the club. Let’s get him to a better place personally and professionally and help him flourish. That’s something we have a responsibility to do with any of our players but especially the younger players who might have been drifting between teams on loan or who haven’t quite broken into the first team with us.
We’re described as supporters and I would like to think we will support those that reoresent us as much as we can do so. Then with all the above support in place we see what Spence can offer moving forwards. If we feel that he’s not at the level and he’s unable to make the step up then we can move him forward to another more suitable interested club. But for now I hope that he can find his feet and thrive with us in future.
People mature at different levels. Some people start a family at 18, work hard and rise to the top quickly. Others struggle to get going, don’t know what they want to do so don’t know how to get there.
Then there are footballers who get paid crazy money at a young age, an age at which they are yet to really find their feet. It’s a huge distraction and likely something some take longer to get to terms with others.
I think that really footballers need greater support through their career and help with developing as an individual. They likely need psychological help to deal with stress and pressure; some will crumble with pressure, others will be flippant as if to ignore and downplay any problem is to get rid of it completely.
Now I have no idea where Spence falls on the above and so instead of judging where he is what I will say is… support the guy, he’s with us and he clearly has some level of talent. If he does need support I hope that he gets it from experienced heads and professionals within the club. Let’s get him to a better place personally and professionally and help him flourish. That’s something we have a responsibility to do with any of our players but especially the younger players who might have been drifting between teams on loan or who haven’t quite broken into the first team with us.
We’re described as supporters and I would like to think we will support those that reoresent us as much as we can do so. Then with all the above support in place we see what Spence can offer moving forwards. If we feel that he’s not at the level and he’s unable to make the step up then we can move him forward to another more suitable interested club. But for now I hope that he can find his feet and thrive with us in future.
