If you’re reading this, chances are you’ll never make it as a professional footballer.
Still, you might still have hope, and hope is a good thing.
So let us dash that hope right away, by pointing out that someone younger than you – indeed, someone so much younger than you that you didn’t realise these sorts of things could happen to him – has signed a professional contract with a Football League club.
How young, you ask? Well, he was born this century.
Buzzing to have signed my first professional contract with @buryfcofficial. Big thanks to family and friends who've helped me all the way!!
— Callum Styles (@Callum_styles10) February 21, 2017
Callum Styles was born on March 28, 2000. That’s right, 2000.
He was the first player born after the turn of the millennium to play for one of the 92 clubs in the English football pyramid, making his Bury debut against Southend in May 2016.
You may recall that the Shakers were actually docked points for handing the teenager his first Football League minutes, due to a registration issue, but that was all resolved in time for Styles to make his first start for the club against Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day.
So, March 2000. That means he was born after Manchester United won their famous treble. He’s younger than the kid who plays Ben in ‘Outnumbered’. He was born when Mel C was number one in the charts with ‘Never Been the Same Again’ and Erin Brockovitch was the number one film.
Basically, he’s very young, is what we’re saying.
Sorry for putting a downer on your entire evening.
Catch up with this week’s episode of 888sport Football Friday Live
