Within the past few weeks two of the game’s greats, Gigi Buffon and David Silva, hung up their gloves and boots, respectively. At the time of writing this blog, Theo Walcott, another player who brought joy to football fans everywhere also announced his retirement.
For footballers who have reached the peak of their careers, retirement is usually a bittersweet occasion. This is particularly true for those who, like Silva, are forced to call time on their career due to injury.
Silva’s return to Spain had gone exceptionally well, with Real Sociedad qualifying for the champion’s league after a decade’s absence. Had he not sustained a knee injury, he probably would have played for two more seasons; fans and press literally begged him not to retire.
The opposite was true of Buffon who had people wondering when he was finally going to retire. He played at the highest level well into his 40s before returning to Parma where he closed out his career at 45.
No matter how far a player goes, where it all started will always feel extra special, like home.
We see the same happen at HTT academy where several alumni return each year to participate in our training camps and other activities. The kids relish the thrill of learning directly from players with experience across Europe.
Other former academy players partner with HTT in other ways, helping with publicity, brand image, industry liaisons, and so on. These kind of relationship are made possible by the communal atmosphere we foster at HTT academy.
The wisdom of this approach is demonstrated by the return of several elite players to their first clubs where they contribute significantly on and off the pitch – showing that players hardly forget those who helped their talent bloom.
We at HTT academy wish Silva, Buffon, and Walcott the best in their future endeavors.