Highlights
- Sam Hurrell won a contract with Chelsea through the reality show 'Football Icon' and impressed Jose Mourinho and the youth coaches enough to earn a contract extension.
- Despite not making a single appearance for Chelsea's first team, Hurrell had a successful career in semi-professional football and even ventured into management.
- Hurrell is now a Professional Academy Coach at Chelsea and has founded his own online coaching program. He has no regrets about his football career.
Chelsea fans might not remember the name 'Sam Hurrell' all that well. Amidst an era at Stamford Bridge where the club seemed to be hoovering up trophies under Jose Mourinho, breaking into one of the Premier League's greatest ever squad wasn't exactly easy. So, just imagine how much of an uphill battle it must have been when you signed for the club through a television programme. Are you catching our drift yet?
Football reality shows have a curious history in the United Kingdom and perhaps the most successful came in the form of 'Wayne Rooney's Street Striker'. The programme ran for an impressive three seasons with the Manchester United star at its helm, but it didn't go as far as other projects in terms of impacting the beautiful game itself.
Remembering Sky One's 'Football Icon'
'Football's Next Star', on the other hand, gave players the opportunity to earn themselves a professional contract at Inter Milan by impressing in tasks over the course of 10 episodes.
But the precursor to that lucrative format actually came with Sky One's 'Football Icon', which again offered the chance to win a deal at one of Mourinho's clubs, but this time it was Chelsea.
Thousands of young footballers aged between 16-18 competed in the series to try and live out their dreams. Those that weren't good enough were let go until 12 finalists were chosen to battle it out at Chelsea's training ground in Cobham. Every week a player was eliminated and, in the end, it was talented left-back Sam Hurrell - a boyhood Chelsea fan - who came out on top.
Reminiscing about his time on the programme in 2012, Hurrell told the Independent: "I got into the six-week trial with the 12 finalists and then an X Factor-type elimination every week. The final three of us travelled to South Korea and Holland, then the decision was made. Jose came over for the last game.
"Once I'd won it I spent quite a few sessions training with the first team, which was a bit nerve-racking. I remember Joe Cole coming over and saying, 'Hi, my name's Joe'. I was like, 'You don't really need to introduce yourself, I know who you are'."
Trying to make the grade at Chelsea
Hurrell, who was 16 years old and still attending Vyners School at the time of his victory, had won a six-month contract that could set him on the road towards Premier League stardom.
The fact his name isn't exactly well-known will probably make you realise that wasn't exactly the case, but what happened to Hurrell after he shook hands with Mourinho?
Well, things worked out better than you might have expected with Hurrell impressing 'The Special One' and his youth coaches enough to earn himself a 12-month contract extension.
"Sam has come through a tough process, he deserves to be with Chelsea," Mourinho explained, per the Daily Mail. The academy tells me that he has developed as a player, not just as a defender, but he has adapted to the needs of the academy, too. He is progressing."
Speaking about his own progress in 2006, Hurrell said: "It's a hard route to get through, because of the standard of the boys. You see the first team, but, even at junior level, the 16-year-olds they sign are internationals. I never played to that standard. But I've improved since I came here.
"I was a left midfielder, but I was asked to play at left back in one of the trial games and I've stayed there since. I've worked on my long passing and crossing and it's a lot better. The experience has been amazing. When I came, there was some banter from the lads.
"It's a different way to come into the club from the rest of the boys, but they accepted me as a normal player and I was able to get on with it. The support has been excellent, I've never been put down."
What happened to Football Icon winner Sam Hurrell
Sadly, though, there was to be no further extension with Hurrell being released in 2007 without making a single appearance for Chelsea's first team.
Hurrell then dotted around semi-professional football with St Albans City, Welling United, Worthing and Woking, before plying his trade in the United States with New Orleans Jesters, two levels below Major League Soccer.
In 2012, at the age of just 24 years old, the young full-back decided to venture into management, taking joint control of Hillingdon Borough in the Spartan South Midlands League. According to his LinkedIn page, he left the role in November 2014.
Hurrell, now in his mid 30s, is a Professional Academy Coach at Chelsea, returning to where it all began in 2005. He also founded the 'Coach The Game Virtual Academy' in 2021, which is a 'private online coaching programme tailored to complement players' existing training routines, aimed at optimising the potential and growth of footballers.' Those that join 'gain unrestricted access to a wealth of resources, including live training sessions, football analysis, and football intelligence tasks and workshops.'
Sam Hurrell has no regrets about his football career
Most importantly of all, though, the Chelsea fan's dream endeavour left him with no regrets and he explained in a 2012 interview that he did everything in his power to try and make the cut.
"Maybe starting at an earlier age I could have done it, but until then I had just been coached by people's dads," Hurrell remarked. "In the 18 months I had there (Chelsea) the development I made was unbelievable. I think I gave it everything. I used to stay late to do extra work, because I knew I was playing catch-up. I'm quite a realistic person. I look at it that I could have done more in the pro game but probably not to Chelsea standard."