Smart Footballers?

[finnster01]

This John Terry fiasco (yet another one, as if the babysitter wasn't enough) has made me think.

Why is it that most Prem footballers come out not looking very smart? Surely there must be some smart ones. I remember back in the dark ages when I actually read and lived on the offal there was a thread about who actually had a University degree.

Do you know any? I'll start with the ones I know: Brian McClair, ex Celtic and Man U and Scotland. He has an engineering degree from Univ of Glasgow and I played 5-a-side with him once. Great bloke. Who else? Something tells me Joey Barton et al has yet to pass primary school

[The Doctor]

Didn't Nick Cusack have a degree before becoming a professional footballer?

[Lighthouse]

Didn't Nick Cusack have a degree before becoming a professional footballer?

YEAH ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PLAYERS. He has a degree in Politics that no doubt helped him when he became  a PFA Executive

[TonyGilroy]

You won't get a degree until you're 21 which is late to start a football career.

A kid with decent A levels is likely to have to give up the chance to go to University if he has a chance of a football career.

Names from the past with a degree include Steve Coppell, Brian Hall and Steve Heighway.

Matt Lawrence who is still playing for Palace I think had a degree from an American University and I'd guess Clint Dempsey has as sports scholarships are the route forward for American kids with sporting talent.

[SheffieldWhite]

TG, I am surprised that you omitted our very own John Lacy who graduated from LSE, probably as difficult to get into as Oxbridge! A very clever and articulate young man!

[mofulham]

Clint and Carlos Bocanegra went to college for three years.  Brian McBride graduated from colllege with a degree.  Kasey Keller also has a college degree.  The USA may not have the best football team but they certainly have the smartest.  Most US players attend at least two - three years of college and then are drafted into the MLS.  Sadly this is changing due to the ever present pressure to do things the European way.

[TonyGilroy]

TG, I am surprised that you omitted our very own John Lacy who graduated from LSE, probably as difficult to get into as Oxbridge! A very clever and articulate young man!

Of course. And Julian Hails.

[finnster01]

You won't get a degree until you're 21 which is late to start a football career.

A kid with decent A levels is likely to have to give up the chance to go to University if he has a chance of a football career.

Names from the past with a degree include Steve Coppell, Brian Hall and Steve Heighway.

Matt Lawrence who is still playing for Palace I think had a degree from an American University and I'd guess Clint Dempsey has as sports scholarships are the route forward for American kids with sporting talent.

Don't forget about the mature student programme. Many players start uni, and they all can finish later if they want. Age is a cop out

[sylvain]

Onohua. They always harp on about his A Levels. However, with the current standard of exams that may just mean he can count to ten.

[Scrumpy]

I think Chris Smalling was one of those kids who was good at everything. He got 3 or 4 A-levels and could have gone to Uni. Instead he chose to play professional football.

Yep, made the right decision there then! ;D

[LBNo11]

1. Graeme Le Saux – The distinguished former England, Blackburn and dark side left-back attended Kingston University and was well-known for reading The Guardian. Although he is married, with two children, opposition fans and even players took great delight in insinuating homosexuality on his part. Robbie Fowler famously wiggled his rear end at him as he prepared to take a free-kick, and he claims that David Beckham called him a "poof". Which is a bit rich coming from someone who wears skirts and names their children as if they were poodles.

2. Barry Horne – "Oh, Horne!" The Welsh midfielder was famous for the dipping 30-yard volley against Wimbledon which secured Everton's top flight status on the final day of the 1993/94 season, but he is also notable for having gained a first-class university degree in chemistry from the University of Liverpool. Horne currently works at The King's School, Chester, as a chemistry and physics teacher and director of football. Even so, we still reckon he just wellied it and hoped for the best.

3. Frank Lumlpard – The dark side and England lynchpin attended the prestigious Brentwood School, where he got 11 GCSEs, including an A in Latin, which may explain why he decided to name his daughter Luna. His team-mates at Stamford Bridge nicknamed him 'The Professor' after he scored significantly above the national average IQ in a test conducted on the squad earlier this year. "Frank Lumplard scored one of the highest set of marks ever recorded by the company doing the tests," reported Dr Brian English, with newspapers suggesting that his score was higher than that of Carol "Thinking Man's Totty" Vorderman.

4. Steve Coppell – Several top clubs expressed an interest in Coppell when he was a youngster, but he chose to join Tranmere in order to obtain a degree in economic history at the University of Liverpool – which he did. While there, he coached the university football team. It was not the only time that Coppell would be associated with Higher Reading – he managed the Royals to promotion with a record points tally in 2006.

5. Steve Palmer – The former Ipswich, Watford, QPR and MK Dons centre-back obtained a degree in software engineering from Cambridge University. He is the only footballer of the modern era to be educated there and, in 1987, he played a first-class cricket match for the University alongside a young Michael Atherton.

6. Neil MacKenzie – The Tamworth and then-Notts County midfielder not only became the first footballer ever to appear on Countdown, doing so in June 2008, but also went on to win five consecutive episodes of the Channel 4 institution. Persuaded by his mother to audition for the show, he became an 'Octochamp' by winning the maximum of eight heats, and made it to the series quarter-finals, where he lost out to eventual winner Junaid Mubeen. He won a crystal vase for his efforts. "I have always been pretty solid on the words and good at the conundrums - so the important thing was not to disgrace myself," he said. "The adrenaline does get running but Des O'Connor was great and he makes you relax, so the nerves went after about five minutes of the show."

7. David Wetherall – While a youngster at Sheffield Wednesday, the former Leeds United and Bradford City centre-back got four A grades at A-level before going on to gain a first-class honours degree in Chemistry from Sheffield University. Bradford fans once paid tribute to his academic prowess by turning up to a game against Rochdale wearing lab coats. He also represented Great Britain in the 1991 World Student Games, which may or may not still exist. (*Consults Google*) They do, but Great Britain declined to enter a team this year, prompting criticism from "leading athletes".

8. Iain Dowie :o – Implausibly – at least to anyone who's ever heard him speak – the former Crystal Palace player and manager graduated with a Master's degree in engineering from Southampton University. And, what's more, he worked for British Aerospace while playing for non-league Cheshunt. All of which is a lot more impressive than the jobs he did at Charlton and Coventry.

9. Shaka Hislop – The former Newcastle and West Ham goalkeeper is perhaps even cleverer than his namesake Ian. He graduated with an honours degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University in Washington DC and was an intern at NASA. However, he is yet to be tested at indulging in witty repartee with Paul Merton.

10. Socrates ;D – Well, with a name like that, he had to be a bit of a clever clogs. Aside from captaining one of the all-time great Brazil teams, Socrates completed doctorates in medicine and, you guessed it, philosophy. He was also a trained paediatrician. Beat that, Lucio.

Honourable mentions:

Steve Heighway – The Liverpool legend got a degree in economics from Warwick University at a time when the educated footballer was an even rarer beast.

Arjan de Zeeuw – The former Portsmouth and Wigan centre-back has a degree in medical science and plans to go into sports medicine after his football career is over.

Brian McClair – The former Manchester United and Scotland striker has a degree in mathematics from the University of Glasgow.

Slaven Bilic – The Croatia manager and former West Ham and Everton centre-back (yes, another centre-back – they're a smart bunch) has a law degree and is a fan of American psychology books.

David Weir – The Rangers and former Everton (wait for it) centre-back attended the University of Evansville in the United States.

James Beattie – The Stoke City centre-forward attended the prestigious Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn. 

[WhiteJC]

Lawrie Sanchez - Open University?

[The Doctor]

Lawrie Sanchez - Open University?

Sadly I think he and I share an alma mater.  :-[

[TonyGilroy]

Lawrie Sanchez - Open University?

Sadly I think he and I share an alma mater.  :-[

You mean like Terry & Bridge?

[The Doctor]

 ;D Mr Gilroy

I've just had a quick look at his biography and it appears I was wrong - he went to Loughborough.  Thank goodness for that.

But I think he still lives round this way.  I hope he doesn't bimble out in front of my car on the way home one evening - I'm no good at removing dents

[FatFreddysCat]

Clark Carlisle is supposed to be the most intelligent player in the league and won some big competetion but i forget what it was. Tony Galvin spoke fluent Russian. And if you listen to Dean Windass reporting he seems very articulate ::)

[blingo]

What about BH??? He has completed 2 years of an economics degree if I am not mistaken and plans to finish his degree when his playing days are over.

[dancrawford]

Matt Lawrence who is still playing for Palace I think had a degree from an American University and I'd guess Clint Dempsey has as sports scholarships are the route forward for American kids with sporting talent.

Matty Lawrence has a degree in an American Literature. I think Mark Blake had a degree as well - he was always getting teased in the Fulham dressing room for his reading matter and intelligence.

And, as Blingo points out, there's Hangeland.

[OldBrownShoe]

Brian Hall, a contemporary of Steve Heighway and Steve Coppell got a degree from Liverpool University in Mathematics and played more than 200 games for Liverpool under Bill Shankly. Oops Brian Hall has been mentioned previously.

I don't know for a fact that they got degrees but both our own Graham Leggatt and Gordon "Ivor" Davies were teachers (possibly PE) before their days at Fulham.

John Lacy was at London University.

[os5889]

where'd my reply go from earlier??