Lay-offs ‘could lead to more part-timers in future’

AXED Bradford defender Robert Molenaar believes that football’s wholesale redundancies could mean more part-time players in the future.

The 32-year-old Dutchman is one of 586 professionals whose contracts have expired in England alone and was left facing an uncertain future in a sport suffering extreme financial hardship. Fortunately for Molenaar, he has now got himself fixed up and will return home to sign a two-year contract with top-flight outfit RBC Roosendaal. Although he is not as badly off as some, having spent five seasons in the Premiership with Leeds before moving to Bradford in 2000, Molenaar has seen the effect of excessive spending at first hand given the Valley Parade outfit’s flirtation with extinction following their demise from the Premier League.

And while he does not feel young players will be put off trying to secure a career in football, he thinks their dreams might have to be tempered by a large dose of reality.