For the lucky few, the path to football glory is as smooth as a top-of-the-range Porsche. Take David Beckham, a child star winning a Soccer Skills trip to Barcelona at 11, courted by Manchester United, the club he adored, and signed with them only two years later.
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of a player who many believe should now replace Beckham on the right side of England's midfield: too small, they sighed; not as good as his dad; thanks but no thanks, said Nottingham Forest, via a secretary's phone call.
Shaun Wright-Phillips, knee-high to a fullback but quick, tricky and brave, would not be deterred.
Inspired by his stepfather, Ian Wright, who was rejected countless times and did not break into League football with Crystal Palace until he was 23, the winger kept believing in himself when others failed to, and now Beckham calls him "one of the best young talents in Europe".
The dilemma now for Sven Goran Eriksson is whether to accept that Wright-Phillips' qualities - in particular his pace - offer a new dimension in the captain's position, just as Beckham is finding his form with Real Madrid; or to hope that his gifts can be used on the left side.
The first point has already been proved. In a stunning international debut against Ukraine at Newcastle last August, Wright-Phillips replaced Nicky Butt, allowing Beckham to move inside and, after less than 20 minutes on the pitch, intercepted a pass, left defenders trailing and shot like a veteran past a startled goalkeeper.
"He showed he's ready," Eriksson agreed. "I'm sure Shaun Wright-Phillips could play on the left, even if for Shaun, it's better to be on the right."
Logical solution last week in the friendly against Holland? Wright-Phillips to start on the left, then switch to the other side for the second half in place of Beckham, while Stewart Downing is given his first chance.
As it was, Wright-Phillips enjoyed a stuttering start at international level on the right. Frail on defence, the 1.62m winger also miscued two shooting opportunities in the first half. But he refused to let his head go down, made a couple of trademark runs and did enough to earn a further 15 minutes in the second spell of the 0-0 draw.
His Manchester City manager, Kevin Keegan, is less interested in where his charge plays, just that he plays. "The fact is, the England coach has to find a place for Shaun in his line-up."
Keegan is the first to appreciate his good fortune in inheriting Wright-Phillips and now his younger half-brother, Bradley, both of whom were attached to Nottingham Forest; Ian Wright, who met Shaun's mother when Shaun was about 18 months old, saw the benefits of the two boys linking up with a comparatively low-profile club outside London.
They were brought up in South London, and educated at Haberdashers' Aske's, a traditional grammar school reinvented as a City Technology College, where rugby was the main winter sport.
Pressure from the boys eventually led to football being introduced, and with Chelsea's Scott Parker in the year above and Wright-Phillips, the school can now claim two England internationals.
PE teacher Dominic Grantham-Hill says: "When I taught Scott it was obvious he was going to do very well and he got a lot of publicity, but I don't think we really realised quite how good Shaun would become.
"He was a skilful player, but a lot of people thought that because of his size, he might not do that well.
"What really struck everyone was his fantastic attitude and the way he conducted himself. Although there were influences that might have led him astray, he worked hard and was never a problem." The problem at Forest is a matter of dispute. Naturally enough, nobody at the club wishes to admit responsibility for rejecting him, the official line being that travelling up from London had become too much.
But Shaun's family say he was simply considered too small, and it still rankles that only an offhand call from a secretary told them as much.
His good fortune was that Frank Clark had in the meantime moved from Forest to Manchester City as manager, and was happy to recommend the 16-year-old.
"My assistant, Alan Hill, and I decided early on that City's centre of excellence wasn't good enough and got in a man called Jim Cassell from Oldham, who was highly regarded, to run it," Clark says. "Jim's done a great job, and City now have a very good academy producing some terrific young players, of whom Shaun is the most high-profile."
Even Cassell, good judge that he is, was almost fooled by Wright-Phillips.
"To be honest, I was a bit worried about his size when I first saw him. But within minutes of getting on the pitch, I could see he was doing all the right things. He's got great agility, flexibility, athleticism and balance, and uses all those qualities. And he brings what every fan wants to see - excitement.
"Off the field, he's an absolute gent, a great advertisement for the academy and club, a fantastic role model."
- INDEPENDENT
Soccer: Wrong position, right time for tiny Wright-Phillips
Manchester City and England's Shaun Wright-Phillips (front) evades Holland's Khalid Boulahronz during their friendly clash last week. Picture / Reuters
For the lucky few, the path to football glory is as smooth as a top-of-the-range Porsche. Take David Beckham, a child star winning a Soccer Skills trip to Barcelona at 11, courted by Manchester United, the club he adored, and signed with them only two years later.
Compare the progress
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