Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier tells players to steer clear of alcohol
Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has ordered his players to stay away from alcohol if they are to reach their true potential in the English Premier League.
Following a report by a British tabloid that claimed several Manchester City stars were drinking alcohol at a student party in the Scottish town of St Andrews, the lifestyle which footballers lead has
come under scrutiny.
Houllier, for one, has urged his players to resist temptation and not take their lifestyle and careers for granted.
He claimed that they should remain completely dedicated to their careers — which allow them to instantly enjoy the kinds of luxuries it takes most other people a lifetime to earn — while insisting that
there is plenty of time to enjoy life after they hang up their boots.
'Career is different from most people'
Houllier told reporters that: "If you've got 100 per cent focus, you've got a chance. If you go off track, go out, booze, go to nightclubs, it does not help. You've got to live for the job. The career
of a player between 20 and 30 is different from most people.
"Other people can have a job, and work and the job allows them to take some holidays, maybe buy a house, maybe buy a car. Football is different. You can have everything right away. Other people enjoy their
job and live outside of the job. The players have got to live for their job.
"The life of the player who plays every three days has got to be about being at home, putting his feet up and maybe watching the TV. If you love football you've got to live for football for 10 years at least.
That will lengthen your career. They can enjoy life afterwards — become maybe TV pundits because management is too difficult a job," joked Houllier.
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