Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says Chelsea midfielder Frank
Lampard is right when he says young players have it too easy
today.
Redknapp oversaw the development of Rio Ferdinand, Frank
Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick at West Ham but their
apprenticeships were some of the last where cleaning boots was part
of the job.
Teenagers now are tied to long professional contracts before
they are old enough for the reserves, and looking after the
footwear of a first-team player is gradually becoming a thing of
the past.
"I'd have them doing it now but you'd be up before the Human
Rights people," Redknapp said.
"Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) would have done it, David Beckham did it
- he cleaned Neil Webb's. It's not a hardship to do it after
training.
"It's just a bit of banter and you get a £50 tip at Christmas
from the first-team player. It's all part of the banter at the
training ground.
"Top pros would always keep the kids in their place until they
developed and were good enough to come up and join them. That was
the goal to aim for - not to walk in at 17 and get a car as good as
the guys who are in the first team."
