'I never thought I would be able to become a professional footballer. I opened the door one day, when I was about 13, to find some talent scouts standing there.  When they asked if their pride and joy would be allowed to play first division football, my parents did not have the foggiest idea what they were talking about.’ In the wake of a lengthy career in football, he became a football analyst. De Vlieger is not really keen on parents pushing their children to become footballers. ‘A lot of them become obsessed about the sky-high salaries commanded by star football players. They push their sons in the hope that the whole family will be able to reap the financial rewards. That is rarely the case. It is only the happy few that manage to earn huge salaries. Young footballers should first of all think about enjoying themselves.’ (RK, dec 2014)

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