SAD NEWS: RAYAN CHERKI: ‘I WENT HOME, SAT WITH MY MOTHER, AND SEE MORE….

Rayan Cherki (20) advanced from Olympique Lyonnais’ renowned academy system onto

their first team in October 2019. Despite his young age of sixteen, there was already a sense

of potential from a player who appeared completely at ease in the presence of more experienced pros on the pitch.

It can all appear so simple to players like Cherki, who start playing the game at such a

young age and give the impression that everything is at their fingertips. Unimaginable

wealth and the dream they have been pursuing for their brief lives are about to arrive.

The player’s welfare and the potential psychological stress of exposing an adolescent

to the demanding mental and physical demands of professional football are hardly considered.

Furthermore, there is hardly ever any doubt about a player’s health when they start to play

inconsistently, like Cherki did this season, and their mercurial talents linger more on the

inconsistent side. It’s hard to fix problems; it’s easy to discover the next new genius to put through the grinder.

SPORTFACTORS