Source: Team_Talk
Houllier: Players must live for football
Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has stressed the importance of players staying focused if they want a successful career.[LNB] The 63-year-old French coach returned to the Premier League in September and has had previous managerial stints at Liverpool and Lyon, as well as a short spell as France boss.[LNB]Houllier believes it is crucial to be completely focused on football to succeed at the top level, and admits the lives of some modern players do not help.[LNB]He said: "If you've got 100 per cent focus, you've got a chance. If you go off track, go out, booze, go to nightclubs etc it does not help.[LNB]"You've got to live for the job. The career of a player between 20 and 30 is different from most people.[LNB]"Other people can have a job, and work and the job allows them to take some holiday, maybe buy a house, maybe buy a car.[LNB]"Football is different. You can have everything right away. Other people enjoy their job and live outside of the job. The players have got to live for their job.[LNB]"This is why sometimes there are marriage breaks, because they marry young girls, girls that want to go out and go to a restaurant.[LNB]"But the life of the player who plays every three days has got to be about being at home, putting his feet up and maybe watching the TV.[LNB]"If you love football you've got to live for football for 10 years at least. That will lengthen your career.[LNB]"They can enjoy life afterwards, become maybe TV pundits because management is too difficult a job."[LNB]Aston Villa take on Burnley in the Carling Cup on Wednesday evening before a local derby with Birmingham at the weekend.
