By Chris Wright
You’d have thought by now we’d be used to it. It happens all the time. Welcome to the machine.
In a world forever set in flux, players will come and players will go. You may well have grown fond of them during their time, they may well have reciprocated the sentiment – but to expect anything other than a finite relationship is either futile and/or bewilderingly naive.
All things must come to pass, and believe me, a player passing through your football club is among life’s more trivial losses.
When the departed speaks of his profound love for your club, your adoration and your support – though he may be on the very verge of walking out the door, his words likely aren’t duplicitous. The heart and the road are two very separate entities.
Pretend not to hear the ubiquitous ‘in search of trophies’ spiel, the crass talk of ‘differences in vision’ for they are mere mechanisms of change. Instead, take a crumb of solace in the fact that he likely means what he says about his gratitiude to you and your ilk. In time, his regard will hopefully become apparent.
Remember, the pain will ease once the next hero comes along – and he too, one day, will leave. Fin de siécle.
Don’t begrudge these men for what they do. They don’t play for your benefit. Never have, never will. The kidology is your doing and your doing alone. Just don’t get overly attached and you’ll be fine.
Enjoy and rejoice with them the brief scintilla they spend in your life, all the while protecting yourself and your frail heart by affording yourself some distance. Then, when the time comes and love lies bleeding in an agent’s pocket, find it within yourself to thank them for their noble service to your club’s cause and wish them well on their travels.
They usually deserve at least that much.