Chris Platts
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Football career knowledge base · · 3 min read

The myth of the 0.012% (again)

Claims that only 0.012% 'make-it' do little to advance our understanding of this topic and, therefore, are of little use for players trying to prepare for their careers or the parents and guardians supporting them. So let's dig a little deeper.

It keeps being referenced, so I will keep arguing against it!

I have written about the argument that only 0.012% of young players 'make it'. Before I talk about it some more, let me remind you what I wrote. It starts with the now-famous quote from Michael Calvin:

"Only 180 of the 1.5 million boys who play organised youth football in England will become a Premier League pro. That's a success rate of 0.012 per cent".

These claims do little to advance our understanding of this topic and, therefore, are of little use for players trying to prepare for their careers or the parents and guardians supporting them.

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