I agree. He’s only 20, but in professional sport time is not on your side. There’s no waiting until you’re 30 to finish uni and land your first job.
On the other hand, I work in professional sport (boxing) and can tell you there are plenty who love the idea of being a professional athlete more than actually being one.
At the elite level, professional footballers are killers. It’s an aggressive industry and not everyone is built for it.
In the past, too many young Aussies have seen signing with a big/European club as the goal rather than step one in their journey. And there are plenty of dodgy agents willing to make a deal happen; very few care about setting these kids up to succeed once they get there. In that sense, football and boxing are the same game.
For me, Peupion’s willingness to linger in the reserves suggests a mentality that isn’t suited to elite sport. Rather than pushing for first team football against men, he has been content being a Brighton player and dominating in an U21 competition.
Ryan Teague’s path has been a little different. Although farmed out by Famalicao, he was at least playing senior football in the second division. And when it was clear that first team opportunities at Famalicao were limited, he didn’t waste vital years and jumped ship to Victory.
He’s now on the radar of at least two national teams (if you believe the China rumours).
A lot of people don’t want to admit it, but the A-League is now a viable alternative to Europe for many. Teague wouldn’t be earning rave reviews if he was slugging it out in Norway or League Two.
It may be an option Okon will need to explore if he hasn’t broken into Benfica’s matchday squad by next season. He’s way too talented to be making the same decision at 24 or 25.