Pompey’s Caolan Lavery reckons talented players are missing their chance

Some players may think a move from the Premier League or the Championship down to the lower reaches of the Football League might be beneath them.

In the modern game, youngsters are capable of earning huge salaries at a tender age and some believe that can dilute their motivation and take away that competitive edge.
Some may enjoy the comforts of a state-of-the-art training ground’s facilities and will shy away from a short trip down the divisions when a call comes in for a possible loan deal.
Just ask Caolan Lavery – he has seen it happen at close quarters.
But the down-to-earth 22-year-old is clearly not cut from the same cloth, after previous stints at Southend United, Plymouth Argyle and Chesterfield.
Those clubs may not be able to match Sheffield Wednesday’s stature, but they have served him well in terms of his development.
And if he needed further evidence, there are plenty of examples of those talented young players, who were destined for much bigger things, learning the ropes on a short stint away from their parent club.
David Beckham did a month at Preston North End before making it at Manchester United, Jermain Defoe and Rio Ferdinand got a taste of first-team football at Bournemouth, and Frank Lampard did a spell in the old second division with Swansea before breaking through at West Ham.