Nick Humphries - Chasing the Dream | How to make it as a professional soccer player | this blog is about my journey to a pro footballer/soccer player. This blog is real-life. It’s my diary, my journal that I write in to see my progress. I have determination and belief that I can make it, and I don't know yet if it will pay off but we will just have to wait and see...

About

(Video Filmed October, 2010) Best Viewed in HD and Full Screen.

My Story:
You’ve probably heard this story before, a young 18 year old footballer with dreams of making it to the big time. Nick Humphries started playing the beautiful game at the age of 8 and since then, football has consumed his childhood and teenage years. Nick was an OK player, playing for state teams and for some of the top junior clubs in his region of his home country, Australia. It was not until he moved to Budapest, Hungary in 2008 due to his Dad’s job that he reached a turning point in his footballing career. He began playing for an club for expats in Hungary, which strangely was coached by the former international captain and ex-professional, Janos Banfi, and with his influence, Nick’s technical and game intelligence skills improved astonishingly. From there, he came to the realisation, although a little later than most; that he is potentially good enough to pursue football as a career. He was 16 when he made the decision he wanted to pursure his passion and become a professional footballer.

There was no doubt in Nick’s mind that he would someday make it professionally. In early 2010, Nick began contacting clubs and managed to receive 3-4 trials at various clubs and events in England however, despite spending lots of money and missing school, he came up short on those trials each time. He realized something needed to change and acknowledged that he needed to make his weaknesses becoming his strengths, and his strengths even stronger. So Humphries worked to correct them by himself for hours every single day, through sunshine and snow, with no promise of reward, or people connections to get him to the next level.

But his hard work paid off. He created a player assessment video of himself and shared it with everyone he could. The video impressed many scouts and coaches from around the world, and at the end of 2010, Nick was invited for a trial to play in the U-20 FIFA World Cup for Australia. He was also offered six offers of athletic scholarships from various American universities. As Nick was living in Hungary at the time due to his father’s job, In July 2011, Nick was on trial with former Hungarian champions Vasas SC, but strangely could not sign with the club “because he could not speak Hungarian”. With the aim of somewhere to start his career, by September of that year, he was invitied on trial by Kazincbarcikai SC, but contract conditions were unsecure. Yet another trial in Janurary 2012 with STZK TK went well – but Nick was then forced to return Australia. As of May 2012, he is planning a return to Europe in time for pre-season trials.

He reflects on his blog weekly.

Nick visualise’s every single day playing in the premier league against some of the best players and clubs in the world. He says he sees himself in the future playing for Australia in the 2014 Brazil World Cup. What sets Nick apart from any other person is his attitude and determination to succeed. He commented in saying: ”If I set myself a goal, I will achieve that goal in time. I will be the first one at training and the last one out, giving everything I got.”

All motivations are the same for footballers. Playing in front of thousands of people every week, the lifestyle, money, cars, etc. However, Nick’s maturity truly shines when he says that his primary motivation is to truly inspire people through world football. He says “I want my actions and my words to really mean something to not only football, but people living in the world. I want to represent the idea that with belief, hard work and persistence you can become anything you want, not just in football but in life, and I think there’s no better way to spread that message than through what I love doing the most.”

Nick is impervious to the comments made by friends and peers on his ambition, calling him farfetched, crazy, an idiot, etc to try live the “impossible” dream. But he has a unbreakable desire to prove them wrong, and he pictures the defining moment of his career to be walking out the stadium tunnel to 80,000 + people in the final of the champions league. He knows it will be difficult, but he also knows with hard work and persistence, in time, anything is possible.

Contact Details:

Nick’s Mobile: +61 431374932
Email: nick@nickhumph.com

“Mentor”: John Moses (ex-international professional footballer) +36 70 702 2363 or john_moses9@hotmail.com

Fact File:
D.O.B: 27/07/1993 (age 18)
Height: 178cm (5’10″)
Weight: 72 kg (160 pounds)
Citizenship: (EU)England/United Kingdom, Australia
Positions: Winger, Fullback
Best Skills: Speed, Shooting, Ball Control
Current Club: Woden Valley Football Club (Canberra, Australia)
Coach: Janos Banfi (former Hungarian international captain)

Previous Trial Experience (Some photos below)
July 2009 – Dinamo Zagreb Australian Selection Camp
Feburary 2010 – A.F.C. Wimbledon Trial U/19
December 2010 – Special Invite – U/20 FIFA World Cup Team Australia
July 2011 - Vasas SC U/19 Hungarian 1st Division
September 2011 – Trial at Kazincbarcikai (1st team) - 2nd Division Hungarian National League (rejected contract offer due to technical terms in contract)
November 2011 – Montrose FC U/19 - Scottish Second Division (wage conditions were very poor)
Decemebr 2011 – Szigetszentmiklósi TK (1st team)

Academic Profie:
School: American International School of Budapest
Graduating Year: May 2011
Cumilative GPA: 2.7 (3 International Bacculrate Classes, Econ HL, German AB SL, Math Studies SL)
SAT Score: 1440 (Math 440, Writing 490, Reading 510)

Nick Humphries Recommendation

Videos:

Player Highlight Videos September 2010