From FIFA20 to Finance Graduate

The Anomaly

There won’t be many students graduating this summer with a Bachelor of Science from a top 6 UK university, who will be able to go home and play as themselves on one of the world’s most popular football video games. 

 

 

The Problem

Compared with the United States of America, where college can be seen as the ‘Holy Grail’ for a transition into professional sport, the UK offers individuals relatively fewer opportunities to balance their education with their pursuit of a career playing sport. Football, in particular, is seen to encourage an ‘all or nothing’ approach whereby young men are faced with life-changing decisions at 16 on whether to leave fulltime education for fulltime football.
Despite a Loughborough University Football Club, and an agreement between Bath University and Bath City FC, meaning both universities can compete in domestic football’s non-league system, it seems Cardiff Met and University College Dublin are the only higher education institutions, in the UK or Ireland, that provides students with the opportunity to obtain a degree whilst competing at football’s highest level. UCD AFC beat F91 Dudelange over two legs, in the Europa League First Round Qualifier, before falling short against Slovan Bratislava, in 2015. Notwithstanding Nike’s announcement this month, that the University of Manchester has become Nike Team’s first official university in the UK, the fact my ‘FIFA20 to Finance Graduate’ story is so unique, is as disappointing as it is detrimental to the economy. If we facilitate a candidate’s ability to balance education with the pursuit of a professional football career, the economy may benefit from the unique skills sportspeople have to offer when transitioning to the workforce.

 

By enrolling in the Amplify Trading Summer Internship, I have taken my first steps towards a transition into the world of finance. Interestingly, William De Lucy – Amplify Trading’s Managing Director – has explored the behavioural and psychological side of trading and is keen to encourage those that have performed at a high level in sport to utilise that mindset, in a trading environment. Among the success stories of the Amplify Trading internship, Josef Jackson’s transition from professional football to analyst at Morgan Stanley is one that resonated with me. Josef’s story epitomises the potential for high performing individuals to be successful in investment banking, and I have been inspired to create a similar career path for myself, whilst encouraging others in a similar position to follow suit.

 

It IS Possible to have Two Passions

There was a feeling of alienation for me as a young man in football, a perception that pursuit of the top level in both education and sport had to be mutually exclusive, meaning my commitment to either was questioned. It WAS possible to train in the mornings and study in the afternoons to achieve A-levels, it was also possible to study from home when taking time away from university to finish football seasons abroad. I anticipate graduating from Loughborough University, this summer, with a First Class Honours degree in Business, Economics, and Finance, having balanced the past 10 years with football.

Although I am proud of my achievements, I hope my story, and the progression of my career, acts to encourage others in a similar position to me. 

 

This blog will cover my passion for financial markets. I will encourage discussion on a broad range of topics, from finance and investment to efficient micro and macroeconomic objectives, and the impact of scheduled and unscheduled geopolitical impacts on the market. I welcome all interactions relating to my articles, and I will actively seek feedback and advice from industry professionals.