“I was thinking, ‘What on earth am I going to do here?’” - David Ornstein opens up on trial with Premier League giants before becoming journalist
Journalist David Ornstein has opened up about being on trial with Premier League giants Chelsea when he was younger. The transfer expert has made a name for himself, breaking transfer news and rumors about clubs and players.
He built his career as a sports journalist working with the BBC for over a decade, before moving to The Athletic where he has worked since 2019.
However, prior to all this, Ornstein's goal had been to make his mark in professional football. He revealed as much on the Dwight and Friends podcast, saying (via SPORTbible):
"I only knew to graft. I had no academic intelligence - I failed very badly at school exams because all I wanted to do was play football. I was on trial for a year at Chelsea, and my mind was set on becoming a Premier League footballer or a professional athlete.
"Then I saw relatives, brothers, cousins getting top results and going to university. I was thinking, 'What on earth am I going to do here?' At one point, I was a waiter at Pizza Hut in my spare time from school. But I just thought, you have to work harder."
The journalist finished:
"If you have one of academic intelligence or hard work - some people are blessed with both, I'm not unfortunately - but the graft or hard work will always get you somewhere. If you don't cut corners, and if you manage to apply yourself, believe it or not, you can work harder than everyone else if you want to, then it can take you a long way."
Ornstein certainly took his own advice, albeit outside of professional football, but he continues to cover important transfers and news that concern the Premier League.
David Ornstein's latest Premier League transfer news
David Ornstein has continued providing Premier League transfer news in detail, with the transfer window now in full swing. He recently revealed Everton's rejection of Jarrad Branthwaite's impending move to Manchester United. The Toffees are no longer willing to do business if the Red Devils cannot meet their asking price.
Ornstein has also recently reported on London giants Arsenal, who are working on a move to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna this summer. He shared that they were pushing to accelerate the move, in order to get him in before other clubs can swoop in.
Premier League side West Ham United are also interested in making a move for N'Golo Kante, according to Ornstein. However, the French midfielder's club Al-Ittihad have rejected a verbal bid worth £15 million to let Kante return to England.