‘America is a growing market, especially with the World Cup’ – Tom Rennardson

Former Grimsby Town scholar, Tom Rennardson, has recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to the USA, as a member of the League Football Education’s All Stars academy squad.

19-year-old Tom was one of 22 young players who joined the development visit to Florida, which was partly funded by The Players Foundation, in collaboration with the United Soccer League, US Sports Scholarships and Varsity Nine.

Last summer, Tom secured a Student Living Expense Grant from the Foundation and is now studying law at the University of Hull, while still keeping an eye out for potential openings in professional football.

Tom said: ‘The experience of going out to America was just one of those things that you can’t say no to. It opens your eyes to opportunities outside the ecosystem of English football – not just in America but in loads of other countries as well.

‘There’s such a focus on the USA right now, because of the World Cup and it was really interesting to go out there and see how we compared to top American opposition and how much we were valued because of our football upbringing in England.’

Despite the disappointment of failing to secure a pro contract at Grimsby last year, Tom remains hugely ambitious for the future: ‘In the next three years, I’d love to have my degree behind me and be playing professional football, wherever that is. I also want to explore lots of other opportunities away from football that could set me up for life, once I’ve finished playing.’

• The Players Foundation offers a comprehensive range of support to current and former professional footballers and scholars.