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Footballer

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A footballer is someone who plays football professionally for a club or national team. In the UK, footballers are typically signed to clubs that play in leagues such as the Premier League, Championship, League One, or League Two. The role involves regular training, playing in matches, maintaining peak physical fitness, and often engaging with fans and the media. Footballers need to demonstrate technical skill, tactical awareness, teamwork, and discipline. The career is highly competitive and physically demanding, with strict routines and frequent travel. While the rewards can be substantial, especially at the top level, job security is often limited and injuries are a constant risk. Many footballers also participate in charitable work, endorsements, and may eventually move into coaching or punditry after retiring from playing.

Footballer

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📊 Statistics

Average Salary

Professional footballers in the UK can earn anywhere from £20,000 to over £1 million per year depending on the league and club. Premier League players have the highest salaries, with the average wage estimated at around £60,000 per week in 2023.

Number of Professional Footballers

There are approximately 4,000 professional footballers registered with the English Football League (EFL) and Premier League clubs.

Career Longevity

The average career length for a professional footballer in the UK is around 8 years, often ending in their early to mid-30s.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Professional Football Midfielder

Play as a midfielder for a professional football club, focusing on linking defence and attack, and contributing to both offensive and defensive play.

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Football Academy Player

Develop your skills and gain experience by joining a football academy, with the aim of progressing to a first team or securing a professional contract.

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Semi Professional Footballer

Play football at a semi professional level, often balancing playing commitments with another part time job or education, while aiming for higher league opportunities.

Develop Football Skills

Join a Local Football Club

Start by joining a local football club or grassroots team to build foundational skills and gain match experience.

Look for clubs in your area that accept adult players or run development teams for young adults. Regularly attending training sessions and participating in matches will help you improve your technical and tactical abilities in a structured environment.

Work on Fitness and Technique

Focus on improving your fitness, ball control, passing, shooting, and tactical understanding.

Work with coaches or follow structured training programmes that emphasise both physical conditioning and football-specific skills. Make time for individual practice, such as dribbling drills, shooting practice, and watching professional matches to learn from elite players.

Gain Exposure and Experience

Participate in Trials and Competitions

Attend open trials, tournaments, and competitions to showcase your talent to scouts and coaches.

Many semi-professional and professional clubs hold open trials for aspiring players. Research upcoming trials and register early. Tournaments and leagues are also excellent opportunities to be noticed and to test your skills against strong opponents.

Build a Football CV and Network

Create a football CV detailing your experience, achievements, and highlight videos. Network with coaches, scouts, and other players.

A football CV should include your playing history, position, strengths, and any honours or awards. Sharing highlight reels online or directly with clubs can increase your visibility. Attend football events and maintain good relationships within the football community, as networking is crucial for opportunities.

Progress to Professional Football

Sign with a Club or Academy

If scouted, sign a contract with a professional club or academy to begin your career at a higher level.

Read contracts carefully and seek advice from agents or legal professionals if necessary. Being part of a professional setup provides access to better facilities, coaching, and competitive matches, which are essential for further development.

Continue Developing and Maintain Professional Standards

Commit to ongoing improvement in fitness, skills, and professionalism to sustain your career.

Professional footballers are expected to follow strict fitness regimes, maintain healthy lifestyles, and continually update their skills. Embrace feedback from coaches, stay disciplined, and consider additional training such as sports psychology or nutrition to maximise your potential and longevity in the game.

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Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Footballer. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

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Career Progressions

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Sample Qualifications

A footballer is primarily involved in the sport of football, developing skills, training, and participating in matches, which aligns closely with the broader category of sports professionals. Both careers require a deep understanding of the game, physical fitness, and dedication to sports performance.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • an apprenticeship
  • amateur sport where you could be spotted by a talent scout
  • a sponsorship or scholarship scheme

Apprenticeship

The Sporting Excellence Professional, advanced apprenticeship is available in the following sports:

  • cricket
  • football
  • rugby league
  • rugby union

The apprenticeship gives talented amateur sports players the chance to develop their sporting talent alongside their education.

Once you've completed your apprenticeship, you may turn professional or continue as an amateur while you get more experience.

You can find out more from the professional body for each sport.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

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Other Routes

The route to becoming a professional varies from sport to sport.

Typically you'll start by joining a club, academy or amateur organisation where you can train and get coaching.

Most sports professionals are spotted early on by talent scouts at this stage.

In some sports you may be able to get financial help to develop your sporting talent as well as to continue your general education.

You can find out more about different schemes through Sport England.

Your chosen sport's National Governing Body (NGB) is the best place to get more information on the way to get ahead in your sport.

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Career tips

Some professional sports careers can be quite short, so it's useful to have plans for what you will do when you can no longer play or compete.

Further information

You can get more details on what it takes to become a professional sportsperson from Sport England.

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