Pienaar's path

Steven Pienaar reveals how his troublesome background and youth coach shaped his career.

In the modern era, footballers are commonly brandished as 'spoilt', 'overpaid' and 'ungrateful'. Whilst this may apply to a small minority, the real journey to the Premier League is often overshadowed and underestimated - football is not just a glamorous lifestyle, it can offer an escape ladder for the less privileged. Everton's Steven Pienaar is today a household name courtesy of his numerous appearances at the Merseyside club, Dutch giants Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur - whilst acting as the pin-up boy for the 2010 World Cup in his native South Africa. However, thoughts of his homeland are not always sugar-coated in nostalgia. He grew up in a town outside of Johannesburg called Westbury, a place synonymous with high crime rates and gang culture. Football provided an escape from the town's hardships and an opportunity to form relationships that would not only last a lifetime, but aid him in his quest for European football. Fellow Westbury resident Cavin Johnson discovered an immensely skilful and level-headed Pienaar when the Toffees man was just 12 years old, offering him an apprenticeship at the highly-reputable Transnet School of Excellence. Johnson's stewardship of his protégé was pivotal in Pienaar's development into a professional footballer - something for which the 32-year-old is hugely grateful. "I would like to thank coach Cavin Johnson for all the effort he has put in when I was a young kid. I always had a dream to play in the Barclays Premier League, but without coach Johnson I do not think I would have reached my potential," said Pienaar. "I had a single mother, two brothers and one sister - (living in) a very poor town. There were a lot of drive-by shootings going on and a lot of innocent people got shot. I was lucky I got spotted. "Because coach Cavin grew up in Westbury, it was easier to know how to communicate with me. He helped me develop, not just as a footballer, but as a young person." Recognising Johnson as a 'father-figure', Pienaar emotionally recalls the moment he found out that Ajax Cape Town had offered him his first deal and a helping-hand to stardom - an accolade for his mentor, who told South African newspaper Mail and Guardian last year that: "There were 10 or 11 other players from Westbury who were just as good, but they did not have the right mental quality." "He gave me a call to come into the school. I did not know what was happening and he said to me, 'You have been offered a three-year contract to go to Ajax'," Pienaar revealed. "They asked me if I had someone that can help me - coach Cavin stood next to me and I said, 'I want him to do it (the negotiations) for me'." Whilst the UK struggles to forge a suitable blueprint for grassroots football, Pienaar's tale shows just how simple it can be. As much as facilities are important in ensuring a player hits their potential, youngsters need an encouraging arm around their shoulder. It may be easy to label young footballers as 'spoilt', but scratch beyond the surface and you will discover hundreds of kids like Pienaar trying to climb the ladder.