When Chelsea fan Alfie Cain was given the chance to play for the club's academy at the age of eight, it was "a dream come true".
But that dream didn't last for Alfie, who was released by Chelsea and then by his next club Barnet - leaving professional football at the age of 18.
It's a familiar story. There are an estimated 1.5 million players playing organised youth football in England at any one time - but only around 180 of those will make it as a Premier League professional.
"You're labelled as a footballer, you walk around your area and it's all 'football, football' and it's great," Alfie tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.