Zola: Young players have it too easy

West Ham coach Gianfranco Zola insists young players have it far too easy. He said: “It is not just this country. Young players get things too easily and it makes them weaker. The more difficult tasks you have in front of you the tougher you become. It’s something that has to be considered”.

“People said to me when I was young that I had to clean the boots because when I was older someone would do it for me. But I’m still cleaning them. When I was an apprentice for Nuorese Calcio in the Third Division in Sardinia, I used to clean all of them, not just one. It was a good lesson. Playing the game is not just about scoring goals, education is just as important.”