Whats the difference on how one makes it to to top soccer league(Premier,Italy,Spain Germany) versus NFL
Typically this is how one get to NFL
Your a good athlete you try out for football in 9th grade,you make the team.Your JV for the first half the season than get on 1st string for rest of the year.The summer between 9th and 10th grade your hormones kick in and you become a real specimen.You lead your team to the state championship,your boinking suzzie cheerleader
and the big name colleges are sending people to recruit you every weekend
Your senior year you decide on a "BIG" time college program
You go off to College as the big recruit and have 3-4 great years
Your college goes to a few bowl games
get noticed by NFL scout
Your name is mentioned weekly on ESPN as a can't miss in the NFL
You get drafted by a NFL team in 1st round
They drive a dump trunk full of money up to your house
and your pro career is on it's way
My question is how is that different versus how one would get to Man U,Real Madrid or another big name soccer team
Each team have its own youth team where they develop talent like a farm system. These players do not go to a typical HS like the US. Their education is being provided by the team privately. Then if they are good enough they are promoted gradually into the pro team or other teams can buy them from other teams. There is no draft or trades.
Generally speaking for the top clubs, you scout kids at early ages, ie. 6, 7, 8, 9 (through word of mouth, video, agents, camps) and sign them to your youth squad and hope to develop them there. Otherwise you just poach other team's youth squads and buy them...lol (but true).
they have a youth academy as pavy stated. managers can then offer players that stand out a contract for the team, usually a low level team from the youth's home country (but not always the case). Scouts from higher divisions may then notice them etc...