If there is anything that you have put on Social Media that you think might not be appropriate or could be viewed negatively by a mass audience, or misinterpreted by the press, then delete it now. No matter if it was 5 or 6 years ago, still get rid of it. It might be a Facebook comment or a tweet, or whatever, but please make sure it won’t come back to bite you. In the same way, going forward, just make sure that everything you post you would be happy for a football recruitment department to see.  

If you think we are being over the top, then look this story up on line. In 2015, a 24 year old footballer named Sergi Guardiola (no relation to Pep) achieved his dream and signed for Barcelona FC from Alcoron. Within hours of signing the contract, it was discovered that two years earlier he had made a Tweet that was ill advised and offensive to Catalonia (where Barcelona is situated). The contract was cancelled “with immediate effect” and he was dismissed from the club, his dream in tatters. 

Each season, professional footballers get into serious trouble because of their inappropriate use of social media. It is nearly always done in the heat of the moment, often under the influence of alcohol, and quickly withdrawn. But by then it’s too late. The players are at best made to look foolish and heavily criticised, at worse, as in the case of Sergi, their career lies in ruins. If you desperately want to be a footballer, then trust me when I say that risking the opportunity for the sake of a few “likes” isn’t worth it.   

So, learn from the mistakes of others. Clean up your social media now, and be very aware of the possible consequences of anything that you post today may have in the future.