Deadline Day in the Premier League. It was the day before yesterday. I spent the whole day (honestly) listening to countless podcasts and YouTube updates. For those who love football, and for some bizarre reason, I do, it was Breaking News Day. Full of rumors, surprises, assumptions, hopes, and fears. Players finally making the move they've been hoping for years. Clubs completing their squads (Isak!). But also people who had their hopes set and saw their dreams go up in smoke (Guehi!). Even during their medicals for their new club. Yikes!

At the same time, I was listening to an episode of the podcast The Rest Is Football, in which Gary Lineker says out loud what we all probably know, but rarely face:

"Footballers are treated like cattle. As if they were products to be sold or rented out. And that doesn't happen in this way in any other profession."

🐄

And it struck me. Because that's absolutely true. Because there, in the midst of a sport that revolves around talent, teamwork, and timing, you also see something very human: the struggle for self-direction. To be seen as a person, not an asset. To be given space for your ambitions, without having to force things.

Take Marc Guehi. He played his way into the spotlight, wanted to go to Liverpool, but wasn't allowed. A contract is a contract. It remained respectable. Or Alexander Isak, who did get his way by resigning and forcing a transfer. He got what he wanted. And there's a certain friction there. Because why does one person rise through rebellion, while another is held back, ESPECIALLY when they do their job properly? And EVERYONE ALWAYS has an opinion about EVERYTHING you do or don't do. Whether you're playing or sitting in the dugout. ALWAYS.

This isn't a plea against the system. I still love football, and I can still see Liverpool winning the Premier League again (mark my words!). The game, the magic on the pitch. But I also see what lies beneath. How difficult it is to forge your own path when you're in a structure where the interests of others outweigh your potential. Where loyalty doesn't always pay off. Where you're dependent on assessments, predictions, and data.

And I think: how often does this happen off the pitch? With people with a stellar track record, who still aren't given the opportunity to take the next step. With professionals who are loyal and skilled, but who are trapped in formats, roles, personal development plans, or systems that hinder their growth.

Because the system doesn't consider their soul. And certainly not their LEGACY.

And then the question arises that matters both on and off the pitch: what are you leaving behind? Not just numbers and successes, but experiences, values, change? Not everyone has the luxury of breaking free from this. But everyone deserves to live and work to their full potential.

Legacy isn't just what you leave behind when you stop. It's what you live while you're here.