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Pitch Publishing Ltd Hardback English
Inside the Academy
The Hopes, Highs and Heartbreaks of West Ham United's Youth
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Inside the Academy tells the stories of a talented set of footballers spanning a quarter-century, exploring childhood aspirations and what became of them. It lifts the lid on teenage training grounds and what it takes to even come close to being a Premier League player. From Bobby Moore to Declan Rice, West Ham United has a proud history of cultivating young talent. Yet their 2023 FA Youth Cup triumph came against a backdrop of complaints about congested pathways to first-team football and inflated pay packets quelling ambition. These concerns are not unique to West Ham; they are symptomatic of the modern game. This book offers an insight into what life as a young footballer is really like, via interviews with people who've lived and breathed the game over the past 25 years. It's a must-read for anyone who wonders why child prodigies don't always become professionals and what happens to those who don't make it to the top.
Inside the Academy tells the stories of a talented set of footballers spanning a quarter-century, exploring childhood aspirations and what became of them. It lifts the lid on teenage training grounds and what it takes to even come close to being a Premier League player.
From Bobby Moore to Declan Rice, West Ham United has a proud history of cultivating young talent. Yet their 2023 FA Youth Cup triumph came against a backdrop of complaints about congested pathways to first-team football and inflated pay packets quelling ambition. These concerns are not unique to West Ham; they are symptomatic of the modern game.
This book offers an insight into what life as a young footballer is really like, via interviews with people who've lived and breathed the game over the past 25 years. It's a must-read for anyone who wonders why child prodigies don't always become professionals and what happens to those who don't make it to the top.