Footballers aren’t role models

DESPITE what most parents think, kids do not see premiership footballers as their role models.

The on and off the pitch shenanigans of premiership footballers are not exactly the kind of stuff of fairytales, especially in recent months.  So the next time you pick up a newspaper with the latest footballer headline and you worry about the influence it may have on your kids, don’t. 

Education expert, Simon Brownhill, at the University of Derby carried out a survey of 178 men working in nurseries and primary schools and discovered that although icons like Rooney, Giggs and Beckham are idolised, they have no real influence. 

He stated that kids aged eight and below are not capable of understanding the concept of role models. In fact, children are more likely to see friends, teachers and family members as their inspiration for the future.

"The men questioned, who work with young children every day, supported the idea that children are more likely to be influenced by people who are their own age, who share the same experiences and who live close by, such as friends and family, rather than by actors or sports stars “.

We can all breathe a sigh of relief then.