Supposing you were a pro-footballer and a very promising youngster at that, and you played for your favourite team earning a decent wage and then a big team came in for you. You knew you probably would never win anything or not much at all playing where you are, would you move to the bigger club for a lot more money and the chance to win things or do you honestly think you would stay loyal to your team.

Would you take the money and be a bit part player in a big team or stay true.

I think there is hardly any loyalty in football anymore which is a shame. Think of all the players West Ham have had to sell over the last 10 or so years. I think they could have been premiership contenders if they kept Harry and all their players they had to sell.

Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Jermaine Defoe, Glenn Johnson and Nigel Reo-Coker all came through the ranks and were sold on, not to mention the other players sold to balance the sheets.

Obviously it would depend on the side you were at to start with and your level of ability.

Look at Steve Sidwell, good player but it was obvious to most that he would never be anything more than a fringe player at Chelsea therefore he must have left for the money and the slight chance of picking up a medal, when if he had stayed at Reading he could have perhaps made the England squad if he developed according!

The players you mentioned were the future stars of the Premier League and it was inevitable as it was with Rooney.

My brother used to play in several amateur Merseyside placed teams along side Jason Koumas, Jason got the offer to go to Tranmere as did my brother but he turned it down becuase Liverpool and City were looking at him, my brother was never picked up and now still plays non league whilst Jason is a good player in the Premier League with international caps.

Obviously it would depend on the side you were at to start with and your level of ability.

Look at Steve Sidwell, good player but it was obvious to most that he would never be anything more than a fringe player at Chelsea therefore he must have left for the money and the slight chance of picking up a medal, when if he had stayed at Reading he could have perhaps made the England squad if he developed according!

The players you mentioned were the future stars of the Premier League and it was inevitable as it was with Rooney.

My brother used to play in several amateur Merseyside placed teams along side Jason Koumas, Jason got the offer to go to Tranmere as did my brother but he turned it down becuase Liverpool and City were looking at him, my brother was never picked up and now still plays non league whilst Jason is a good player in the Premier League with international caps.

WIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd go to the bigger clubs. Not just for the money but if you're good enough to play for them and are going to be winning leagues and cups then why not? I think there would be more chance of leading a happy life doing that than to stay at an average/struggling club just to prove to some people that don't even matter that you're loyal.

Obviously it would depend on the side you were at to start with and your level of ability.

Look at Steve Sidwell, good player but it was obvious to most that he would never be anything more than a fringe player at Chelsea therefore he must have left for the money and the slight chance of picking up a medal, when if he had stayed at Reading he could have perhaps made the England squad if he developed according!

The players you mentioned were the future stars of the Premier League and it was inevitable as it was with Rooney.

My brother used to play in several amateur Merseyside placed teams along side Jason Koumas, Jason got the offer to go to Tranmere as did my brother but he turned it down becuase Liverpool and City were looking at him, my brother was never picked up and now still plays non league whilst Jason is a good player in the Premier League with international caps.

Bet your brothers gutted and it's a shame. Difficult situation he was in there, and hindsight would be a wonderful thing.

WIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd go to the bigger clubs. Not just for the money but if you're good enough to play for them and are going to be winning leagues and cups then why not? I think there would be more chance of leading a happy life doing that than to stay at an average/struggling club just to prove to some people that don't even matter that you're loyal.

I suppose it depends on how good you are. Obvisouly if you were that good then after a few years you'd have to leave. But I would still stay for a while and see where the team was going. Spurs fans slag off Sol Campbell but he did give us a farely long time before finally deciding he was never gonna win anything, and I haven't got a problem with that. Rooney I felt was very unloyal as he was only really young and I think he owed Everton 2 or 3 years at least before moving on, but like MickeyHatton said Steve Sidwell must have realised he was never gonna be a big star and regular and hardly ever plays with the exception of injuries and carling cup appearances.
In that case I would stay where I was.

WIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd go to the bigger clubs. Not just for the money but if you're good enough to play for them and are going to be winning leagues and cups then why not? I think there would be more chance of leading a happy life doing that than to stay at an average/struggling club just to prove to some people that don't even matter that you're loyal.

West Brom in the Prem first Tuggers then to Cardif then Wigan but he's still on about 15k - 20k a week so.....

You can't stay at one club forever - it's about having a football career and experiencing the game at lots of different places. Every player MUST be a fan of some team - but at the end of the day, you go where the money is.

However, if I was good enough to play right-back for any club, I would go where the cash is but would be determined at one stage in my career to play for the Owls. When that time would be, i don't know.

I will say this though - as much as I would LIKE to play for the Wednesday...I would REFUSE to play for Sheffield United. If I did, i feel i would have sold my soul and every brilliant hat trick i scored would break my heart.

Bet your brothers gutted and it's a shame. Difficult situation he was in there, and hindsight would be a wonderful thing.

To say he is bitter is an understatement, its his own fault he had the chance to go Pro and got greedy so...

I suppose it depends on how good you are. Obvisouly if you were that good then after a few years you'd have to leave. But I would still stay for a while and see where the team was going. Spurs fans slag off Sol Campbell but he did give us a farely long time before finally deciding he was never gonna win anything, and I haven't got a problem with that. Rooney I felt was very unloyal as he was only really young and I think he owed Everton 2 or 3 years at least before moving on, but like MickeyHatton said Steve Sidwell must have realised he was never gonna be a big star and regular and hardly ever plays with the exception of injuries and carling cup appearances.
In that case I would stay where I was.

Rooney was so young when he moved he would have just been facing the money and fame. Probably exactly the same as any other 18yr old lad would do in that situation.

I think people are too harsh on the young players that want to leave at a young age for a big money move, they seem to forget that they have a family and want to provide for them. When Theo Walcott left Southampton for Arsenal he repaid his parents for all the support they had given him as a child by buying them a new house.

It would be easy for me to say that I would reject a big money move to stay loyal but to be honest I don't know what I would do. As stated before it depends how good you are. If I had the talent and self confidence of Rooney I would've left no doubt. Rejecting and staying loyal may have consequences as a big money move may never come knocking.

Whether pro or not, any competitor wants to play for the best possible team in the best possible situation. It wouldn't make any sense at all to stay at a place like West Ham if you have the talent to play at European level

Matt Le Tissier is a good example of someone who stayed loyal, but the same people who complain about loyalty being in short supply are the same people who call him lazy and lacking in ambition. It's a no win situation to be honest.

I think Sol Campbell handled it badly because he led us to believe he'd sign a new contract, then joined our bitter rivals next door. The abuse he's received since is a disgrace though.

Answering the initial question, if I felt my skills were up to par then I would join a big club. I'd like to think I'd do as much as I can for the "smaller" team before moving on, I wouldn't wanna be booed at former clubs.

Like MickeyB I couldn't play for my rivals (Arsenal) under any circumstances, f*ck no!

Matt Le Tissier is a good example of someone who stayed loyal, but the same people who complain about loyalty being in short supply are the same people who call him lazy and lacking in ambition. It's a no win situation to be honest.
I think Sol Campbell handled it badly because he led us to believe he'd sign a new contract, then joined our bitter rivals next door. The abuse he's received since is a disgrace though.

Answering the initial question, if I felt my skills were up to par then I would join a big club. I'd like to think I'd do as much as I can for the "smaller" team before moving on, I wouldn't wanna be booed at former clubs.

Like MickeyB I couldn't play for my rivals (Arsenal) under any circumstances, f*ck no!

Matt was potentially world class but he never achieved anything with it, he I believe enjoyed being top man at Southampton rather than testing himself on a bigger stage, Steve Bull was the same.

Whats the point of being blessed with ability if you only use part of it?

I'd play for Sheffield United every week.

I'd have the F.A record for the most amount of own goals recorded in one season across the planet. I'd drag the piggies out the footballing leagues! haha

Gimmie the job!

I'd be a hero at Hillsborough

The only teams i would turn down:

Man Utd
Liverpool
Derby County
Leicester City

If the first 2 teams were chasing me, surely there'd be others.....that's why i would not consider a move to any of the above.

The only teams i would turn down:

Man Utd
Liverpool
Derby County
Leicester City

If the first 2 teams were chasing me, surely there'd be others.....that's why i would not consider a move to any of the above.

I would turn down those cunts too.

The best players want to play in the best leagues and the best competions, there are limited spaces for these therefore they have to move on.

If I was playing for me beloved Aston Villa I'd never leave em. One day we will dominate all competitions, I'm bastard sure of it, and I'd hang on until that day came.

Whoever says that they would they would easily stay with their small time team have obviously never been offered a big money check and a chance to play with the big boys. That goes for anything -- sports, business, politics, etc...

Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not.