Thousands of talented teenage footballers dream of following in the footsteps of players like David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.
But new research shows that elite young soccer players are at risk of burn-out before they leave school because of the perfectionist standards demanded by their coaches, parents and fellow team members.
Dr Andrew Hill, who lectures in sports and exercise science at the University of Leeds, said some youngsters at professional football academies show signs of chronic stress, exhaustion and disillusion with their sport at a young age.
He and his team talked to more than 160 junior players at eight academies and centres of excellence attached to English professional clubs and found that up to a quarter had experienced symptoms of burn-out.
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