I once had a chat with a Pro-football club coach. I asked him how he could trim down 200 U18 kids to 20 kids in a day, during trials.

I will share his response which remains fresh in my memory. His response.

'We expect to see about 10 technically exceptional boys, they will be put aside, the remaining 10 will have to show they have at least 50% talent and 50% workrate. Working hard is the only way they can catch up with the exceptional boys. If they are lazy, they won't make it...

'...and that also applies to the exceptional boys.'

He went on to say that, he prefered a boy with 30% talent and willing to work hard to a boy with 90% talent but doesn't want to work. To him, workrate supersedes talent.

This guy took a team of trialists from amateur football to Premier League football in 4 years and gave the national team two players. Many were sold to Europe too.

Over the years, I have watched and accepted that his theory works. I saw it all with my eyes.