Money makes the world go round apparently, a saying I dislike almost as much as some of our beautiful game’s ‘quirky’ laws, but there’s a difference. The FA can change the ‘injured player has to leave the pitch whilst the guilty party helps defend the free kick they’ve just conceded’ debacle, but footballers ‘getting their move’ and allowing the perks that come with it to change who they are as a person looks set to continue.

It was refreshing to hear some Leicester City youngsters were holidaying in the UK, one Tweeted from the English paradise that is Skegness recently, but how many of his senior team colleagues would know it’s a regular haunt for us Leicester folk? Understandable if not, few regard the boundaries of our county as ‘home’ – nature of the beast these days and it’s that which irks me.

Socialising with the bread and butter of your club has become a difficulty because of the character a modern day footballer has become, or built themselves up to be. Not all footballers I have to say, and for many it’s a façade but they feel the need to use and a way of life they’re expected to conform to. This mask is used to claim they are something which they’re not necessarily, and definitely not what they were taught when training at various academies with that desire in their heart, they absorb the big time culture and a few don’t help themselves.

It’s a trap I’ve seen players from many different clubs fall into, boasting about this and that, playground stuff really but it’s ok isn’t it because it’s all in the name of ‘banter’ – who’s spent the most money in the close season, who’s got the best tan, how many watches player x invested in or even comparing tattoo receipts for the ‘sleeves’ they’ve worked so hard on. Some will claim I’m envious. I never envy those with money, wish I was half the footballer most pros they are though yes.

I’m one for allowing footballers to Tweet whatever they want, it allows us a small window to see into their lives but I can now see the difficulty in being a press officer and attempting to look after the character and public perception of these stars, after all their next move may not be too far away.

But long live the youth stars of today; I just hope if they make it in the game that the extra zeros on the bank statement won’t alter their approach. Be who you are and be happy with that.

The culture and pressure that comes with being a professional footballer is unique and the coping mechanisms have been created to assist with the lows, gallows humour if you will, but that mechanism has a green haze to it sometimes and that can increase the gap between the supporters who are struggling to fund excessive season ticket prices and themselves who sometimes earn hundreds of thousands of pounds per week (clearly I’m talking about football generally here and not specific to one club).

I watched on as some legends of yesteryear delighted fans by managing and then playing in a game with those supporters in May 2012 (credit to Leicester City Football Club for the initiative, superb) but would any of the current crop do that in 20 years? A few I’m sure would as there are some really grounded individuals in the game who laugh in the face of this ego building culture and it’s usually those who perform well when the going gets tough.

This blog was not written with any player from any specific club in mind.