Cofie Gets The Headlines: It's Crazy

Manchester United have signed a 14-year-old starlet from Burnley.

John Cofie, Burnley's brightest prospect decided his future lies at one of the big clubs. Therefore he rejected Liverpool and chose Manchester United.

Burnley admitted they had no chance to keep him but wish him good luck as the deal was the best possible solution for all parties concerned.

Now it's all well. Why I say the whole thing is crazy? Because the boy is 14-year-old, mind you! It is just unbelievable: we were treated to rumours and speculation about which club he might choose and when he made his decision even bloody Reuters reported it!

It's just mad, or am I too old-fashioned? Somehow I think it's not healthy if so young guys are exposed to media coverage. Remember Rhain Davies? The 9-year-old Australian megatalent signed for United because of a YouTube compilation? what is incredible is not that we had signed such a young player but that it was of such great interest for the press.

I envisage a future when little babies will be specifically tested with the most advanced scientific methods to reveal if they were born with outstanding talent. Then the press will speculate about which superclub might sign these extraordinary youngsters and there would even be a press conference to unveil the latest 1-year-old acquisition.

While this latest vision might be an exaggeration, I'm not sure we're heading into the right direction. Sophisticated journalists and fans often complain that today's footballers are spoilt, overpaid and have no sense of the real world. But how could anything else be expected of them when some of them are treated as potential superstars at the grand old age of 14?

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