Former South Africa international defender Mark Fish has signed an agreement with English Championship club Charlton Athletic to help develop South African youngsters for careers in Europe. The former Bafana Bafana star spent five years at Charlton between 2000 and 2005 during a successful spell in Europe that also included stints with Lazio in Italy and English side Bolton Wanderers, as well as Orlando Pirates at home. He knows what it takes to be a professional abroad, along with the hardships and sacrifices that come with it, and is now looking to pass that knowledge on to the next generation. His foundation has signed an agreement with Charlton that will hopefully see young South Africans given a chance to join the academy of the London club or move to other leagues in Europe. As Fish points out, only a select few will ever make it to the Premier League, but players can still have a fantastic career and enjoyable life playing in the lower leagues in England or Europe. The idea is that players we identify can go and train at Charlton so the club can assess them and decide if there is a future there, Fish tells FORBES AFRICA. We also want to explore links with clubs elsewhere in Europe because sometimes there are different routes into football overseas. I'm a firm believer that if you are good enough, you should try to get into Europe as quickly as possible because the lifestyle, professionalism, coaching and standards can only enrich you as a footballer and as a person. The challenge is adapting to a different culture, a different country and the demands of being a professional footballer in countries where football means everything. A lot of youngsters dream of the Premier League or LaLiga, but the demands are huge and can be overwhelming. Not everyone will end up at the biggest clubs in the world, but there are opportunities to build an incredible life playing in lower divisions in Europe, getting paid, traveling and doing something you are passionate about. You can create a lifestyle through football and see the world. At the same time, Fish says it's important to guide and support young players, allowing them to dream while also being realistic in what is a difficult industry in which to reach the very top. Youngsters should work hard and chase their dreams, but there also has to be realism, he said. Parents and mentors play a huge role in helping young players understand their ambitions and guiding them in a way that makes sense, so they can pursue their dream in reality. Fish has already taken a group of players to England, which helped bring about the current agreement. We took Under-13 and Under-16 teams across so they could see what it's like to be at a professional club, he says. They played against teams in London and also against Charlton's academy sides, and the players did really well. After that I spoke to the head of the Community Trust and talent identification programme about how we could continue the relationship. They sent coaches across to do clinics around Howick and KwaZulu-Natal, where I live now, and also worked with local coaches, Fish says. We signed an agreement to try and give kids the opportunity to get to the UK and into Europe. We know the challenges of getting into England if you haven't played for your country or don't have the right passport, so we are looking at pathways and partnerships that can help players develop and get opportunities.