Muamba stressed the importance of life outside of football
Fabrice Muamba gave a talk to the youth teams of Fleetwood Town, Blackpool and Preston North End this afternoon about life after football.Town captain Mark Roberts was amongst the panel of guests, as they spoke about their experiences to the players.
Members of the young Cod Army squad will find out in the next few weeks whether or not they have been offered a further contract by the Club.
Speaking after the event, Roberts said: “I spoke to the lads about my experiences and the ups and downs that I’ve had during my football career.
“I also spoke about how the next generation can take responsibility about their future as it’s something that I’m passionate about and a big believer in.
“The Fleetwood lads were here today with the Blackpool and Preston YT’s and just to get to this point in their careers means they’ve had to make sacrifices.
“They’ve had to show determination and then match that with their ability to get to this point, but it gets harder to earn a professional contract after that.
“To become a professional footballer is every young boys dream, but then when you realise that dream you understand even more just how competitive it becomes.
“People like the PFA and the LFE have a massive role in helping these young players, and it’s getting better and better.
“It wasn’t something that was so accessible when I was their age but I always quite forward and made sure I did get an education and that I was more than just a footballer.
“It’s making sure you don’t fall into the category of being embarrassed about putting yourself forward because you’re alongside colleagues and teammates.
“Hopefully when they listen to people talk about how it helped them during their careers, they’ll maybe become more proactive away from the pitch.”
Youth team coach Mark Bowley added: “It’s an excellent way to explain to the boys what’s out there and that we as a Club have an exit strategy for these players.
“They’re all not going to make it as footballers, so I think it’s a very good way of explaining to them what is actually out there for them.”