A football club owner revealed that his team run sessions for young players to try to educate them about how to deal with sex.
With footballers now among the most famous people in the country, and their marketability at an all-time high, it perhaps comes as no surprise that clubs are taking a more hands-on approach with teaching them appropriate ways to behave.
In an eye-opening column for The Athletic , the anonymous owner also discusses how much some players struggle to deal with earning huge amounts of money from a young age.
On the subject of sex, the owner said: "Sex, unfortunately, is a big problem and we have to take it seriously. We try to speak to players about being careful and doing the right things, making sure they don’t take advantage of drunk women and always getting consent.
"We run sessions for the senior and academy players so they know how to behave and what is appropriate. You’re trying to educate them all the time. That includes not doing something stupid like sleeping with one of the fans’ wives or the daughter of someone who works at the club.
"One of our young players is mad for women and it’s affecting his career. It’s a shame because he’s so talented but he’s distracted."
The owner also believes there should be a limit as to the amount a teenager can earn, and said the variation in salaries can cause friction in the dressing room.
He said: "When you bring in Premier League youngsters on loan on around £20k a week and they are driving their pimped-out Range Rover into training, and then you’ve got our lads who are 19 and are on £300 a week fighting for a career, it creates friction.
"That’s why I don’t like to sign a lot of Premier League youngsters."
