Owing to the need for plays to restart games quickly when the ball goes off the field, the practice of having young boys and girls stand at vantage points of the field to throw balls to either the players or onto the field was introduced as part of the evolution of the beautiful game called football.
This practice which has been there since the early 1900s began with former Chelsea goalkeeper, William "Fatty" Foulke who used to bring two kids to the pitch to stand behind the goalpost to be picking the balls that go out of play for him.
This is because William "Fatty" Foulke's was 1.93m tall and 146 kg heavy and couldn't afford to run around to be picking the balls when they go out of play hence his strategy which has since come to stay.
The ball boy opportunities over the years have been given to academy boys because clubs want the young players to get the experience of how it feels like to be playing in front of a huge crowd.
Today we look at 5 top footballers who once worked as ball boys during their academy days and are now on top of their game.
1. Callum Hudson-Odoi
Born on November 7, 2000, in London, UK, to Ghanaian parents, Callum Hudson-Odoi is part of a football heritage as his father Bismark is a former Hearts of Oak player.
Callum Hudson-Odoi joined the Chelsea Academy at the age of 7 in 2007 and rose through the ranks in the club before making his senior team debut on December 20, 2017, in an EFL Cup game against Bournemouth.
Odoi, like many academy players, was often used as a ball boy and in one of those duties, he was captured celebrating a goal with striker Samuel Eto'o in January 2014.
Eto’o ran over to celebrate with the youngster after completing his hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
The picture went viral after Callum Hudson-Odoi scored his first goal in Chelsea's 10-0 win over PAOK in the UEFA Europa League on November 29, 2018.
2. Phil Foden
The 22-year-old is considered to be among the young best players in world football and he was at the stadium when Manchester City won their first Premier League title in 2011/2012 season.
Born on May 28, 2000, Phil Foden was at the touchline the day when Sergio Aguero scored the title-winning goal against QPR in 2012.
“I was right behind the goal and saw it go in the net. I’ll never forget it. I remember the whistle went and everyone legged it onto the pitch! I and my mum decided to go on as well,” he said in an interview with GOAL.
Phil Foden has now become a first-team player for Manchester City and made over 121 appearances on November 21, 2017, in a UEFA Champions League game against Feyenoord.
3. Trent Alexander Arnold
Trent just like the aforementioned players also worked as a ballboy during his academy days and he shared a moment with the legendary Steven Gerrard at Anfield in 2014.
Trent Alexander Arnold recently revealed in an interview that he was at Anfield as a ballboy when Steven Gerrard slipped in the infamous 2-0 defeat against Chelsea.
After making his debut against Tottenham Hotspurs in 2016, Trent with the exception of the UEFA Europa League has won every competition he has played in club football.
He has won Premier League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, EFL Cup, and Community Shield in 190 appearances for Liverpool.
4. Matthijs de Ligt
Currently playing as a central defender in the German Bundesliga for giants Bayern Munich.
23-year-old Matthijs de Ligt is an Ajax Academy graduate and was the captain of the team in their fairy tale run in the 2018/2019 UEFA Champions League where they reached the semi-finals.
De Ligt after joining the Ajax Academy in 2009 from a local club in Abcoude became a ball boy at the age of 11 and also had his moment with Luis Suarez during the Uruguayan's time at the Johan Cruff Arena.
Matthijs de Ligt made 77 appearances and scored 8 goals for Ajax before making his big-money move to Juventus in the summer of 2019.
5. Wesley Sneijder
Born June 9, 1984, Sneijder joined the Ajax Academy in 1991 and worked as a ball boy at the age of 10. He had his first opportunity to watch great players like Clarence Seedorf, Marc Overmars, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, and Frank Rijkaard play at the Johann Cruff Arena during his time as a ball boy.
Sneijder is believed to have tapped a lot of footballing lessons from the great players he watched from the touchline as a ball boy.
Wesley Sneijder made his Ajax senior team debut in 2002 and spent 5 years at the club before joining Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2007.
Author:Joel Eshun
JE/KPE
L-R: Callum Hudson-Odoi, Trent Alexander Arnold, Phil Foden, Matthijs de Ligt & Wesley Sneijder