Rivers United coach Yemi Daniel Olanrewaju has urged young footballers to develop additional vocational and professional skills alongside their playing careers, stressing the importance of having a reliable alternative should their football dreams fail to materialise.
Sports247 reports that Olanrewaju made the call while reflecting on his own football journey, using his experience to highlight the unpredictable nature of a career in professional football and the need for young players to prepare for life beyond the pitch.
The Rivers United coach encouraged aspiring footballers to utilise their time away from training and matches to learn practical skills that could provide a foundation for their future.
“If you’re playing football and you are young, you can be able to learn tailoring and stuff. Please do, because at the end of the day, if you don’t make it as a player, what do you fall back to?” Olanrewaju said.
The coach explained that he had already reached the professional league at a relatively young age and appeared to be progressing along his chosen career path before an injury abruptly changed his plans.
“I use myself as an example. I was a good player at a young age. At 22, 23, I was already playing in this league.”
However, a serious knee injury brought his playing career to an unexpected end, forcing him to reassess his future.
“Then I had a terrible knee injury, ended my career. So I had to go back to university.”
Rather than allowing the setback to end his involvement in football, Olanrewaju used the opportunity to pursue education while simultaneously preparing for a new career within the sport.
During his time at university, he embarked on coaching courses and began gaining practical experience working with an academy.
“So after I graduated, when I was in school, I was doing my coaching courses. I started coaching Academy, and here I am today.”
His transition from professional footballer to coach has become a personal example of how preparation can help athletes navigate unexpected changes in their careers.
Olanrewaju’s message comes at a time when many young Nigerians continue to pursue professional football dreams, often hoping to secure contracts and opportunities both domestically and abroad.
While acknowledging the possibilities football can provide, the Rivers United coach stressed the importance of developing skills that can remain valuable regardless of what happens on the pitch.
His own journey demonstrates that an unexpected injury or career setback does not necessarily have to mark the end of a person’s sporting journey.
For young footballers, his message is straightforward: pursue the dream, but prepare for the possibility of a different path.
Football may be the dream, but having something to fall back on could shape life after the game.
