Some of the world’s top footballers didn’t begin their careers as first-choice players, but rather as ball boys.
Below are five players who started out fetching balls and went on to become top players in their own right.
Phil Foden
Manchester City’s Phil Foden once served as a ball boy. He was also a mascot for City in an English Premier League match against Sunderland in 2007. Foden shared a throwback photo of himself as a ball boy after scoring a stunning goal against City rivals Manchester United in February 2021.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is currently on loan at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, also began his career as a ball boy. During a match against Manchester United in 2014, former Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o celebrated one of his goals with Hudson-Odoi.
Matthijs de Ligt
Bayern Munich and former Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, too, was once a ball boy. A photo of young de Ligt and former Ajax star Luis Suarez has been widely shared on social media platforms, showing how the Dutch defender started out as a mere spectator before becoming one of the world’s top defenders.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold began his career at Liverpool’s academy at the age of six and later served as a ball boy for the club in 2014. He worked his way through the youth ranks to become a dependable player for the reds.
Donny van de Beek
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek also started his career as a ball boy. Van de Beek was once pictured with Luis Suarez while performing ball boy duties.
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