For years, many people have claimed that video games harm society because of violence, graphic content, or negative character portrayals.
Yes, games often allow you to make morally questionable choices, but reducing them to “trivial entertainment” is a narrow mindset.
If that were true, we’d also have to dismiss Shakespeare’s plays, which contain violence, betrayal, and morally corrupt characters, as harmful. Yet we value them for their artistry and insight into human nature.
Similarly, video games can inspire, teach, and even shape a person’s future. There are hundreds of simulation games which are used in real-life professions.
The best example is the model of Notre Dame in Assassin’s Creed Unity has been selected as the primary model to reconstruct the burning cathedral.
Marvellous, yet some people continue to criticise the gamers.
Take Will Still, for example. His obsession with the Football Manager series helped guide him to a real-life managerial role in professional football, and now he’s in charge of Southampton.
A Brief Introduction to Football Manager
Will Still has admitted in interviews that he was addicted to Football Manager, a simulation game that places you in the role of a club’s manager.
Unlike FIFA, where you control the players on the pitch, FM focuses entirely on tactics, player management, and long-term planning.
In Football Manager, you set formations, assign roles, and devise game plans – but you never directly control the match. You have to think like a strategist, studying your opponents’ tactics, managing player morale, and solving off-pitch problems.
Every detail matters.
Just as in real life, players have doubts, demands, and personalities. Mismanage them, and results will suffer.
Will Still has said he spent countless hours honing his tactical thinking in FM, a mental training ground that contributed to his success as the youngest manager in Europe’s top leagues.
Are video games useless? His career suggests otherwise.
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Will Still’s Journey
Determined to turn his passion into a career, Will Still studied coaching at Myerscough College.
His path didn’t begin at the top, far from it. He started as a video analyst at Preston North End, studying player performance and tactics.
He then moved to Standard Liège in Belgium in the same role, before becoming assistant manager at Lierse SK. Just a year later, he was promoted to manager.
His success at Lierse drew attention from other Belgian clubs, and he accepted an assistant role at Beerschot, choosing experience and learning over immediate prestige.
That patience paid off. Eventually, Still took over as manager of Stade de Reims in France’s Ligue 1. Despite lacking a UEFA Pro License, which meant the club had to pay a fine for every match he managed, Reims backed him.
The result? A 17-match unbeaten run, including two draws against powerhouse PSG. Not bad for someone who started on a video game.
Now, Still is heading to Southampton for a new challenge in the Championship. It’s the perfect testing ground for his tactical skills, and it may well be the stepping stone to a Premier League role shortly.
What Can We Learn from This?
Success takes time, effort, and persistence. Your starting point doesn’t define your end goal.
If a video game can spark a career as a professional football manager, who’s to say your passion, no matter how unconventional, can’t lead somewhere extraordinary?
Will Still’s journey is proof that inspiration can come from anywhere. Even from a laptop screen.
As for me, my next piece will focus on José Mourinho’s upcoming season at Fenerbahçe and why the outlook isn’t exactly bright for either the club or him.
Stay tuned!
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportimage
Recording Date: 02.08.2025