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Footballer

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Primary Secondary Post-16

A footballer is someone who plays football, which is a popular team sport in the UK. Footballers train hard to get fit, learn new skills, and work with their teammates. They play matches for their club and sometimes for their country. Footballers need to practise a lot, eat healthily, and listen to their coaches. Some footballers play in big stadiums with lots of fans, while others play in smaller clubs. It can be exciting but also needs a lot of hard work and dedication.

Footballer

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📊 Statistics

Average Salary

Professional footballers in the UK can earn from £20,000 a year in lower leagues up to millions of pounds in the Premier League.

Number of Professional Players

There are about 5,000 professional footballers in the UK playing in different leagues.

Number of Football Clubs

There are over 90 professional football clubs in the English Football League (EFL) and Premier League.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Goalkeeper

A football player who stops the ball from going into the goal.

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Striker

A football player whose main job is to score goals for the team.

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Football Coach

A person who teaches players how to play football and helps them get better at the game.

Start Playing Football

Join a Local Football Club

Find a football club in your area and join their youth team.

Look for local football clubs or community teams where you can play with others your age. These clubs often have coaches who will help you learn the basics of football, like passing, dribbling, and shooting. You will also get to play in matches and practise with your teammates.

Practise Your Skills Regularly

Spend time every week practising your football skills.

The more you practise, the better you will get. Try to practise different skills, like controlling the ball, passing accurately, and shooting at goal. You can practise alone, with friends, or at your club. Practise makes perfect.

Develop as a Young Player

Play in Matches and Tournaments

Take part in matches and tournaments to get experience.

Playing in real matches helps you learn how to work with your team and deal with different situations on the pitch. Tournaments are a great way to play against new teams and show what you can do. Always listen to your coach and try your best.

Stay Fit and Healthy

Eat healthy foods and keep active to stay strong.

Footballers need to be fit, so it is important to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Make sure you get enough sleep and drink lots of water. This will help you play your best and avoid getting hurt.

Take the Next Step to Become Professional

Join a Football Academy

Try out for a football academy linked to a professional club.

Football academies are special training centres run by professional clubs. They give young players the chance to train with top coaches and play at a higher level. Ask your coach about trials for academies, and go along to show your skills.

Work Hard and Never Give Up

Keep practising and learning, even if it gets difficult.

Becoming a professional footballer takes lots of hard work and determination. There will be ups and downs, but if you keep trying and listen to your coaches, you will keep improving. Always do your best and enjoy playing football.

🎯 View Apprenticeships

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

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

A footballer is primarily a sports professional, engaging in athletic activities, training, and competitions within the sport of football. Unlike the other options, their main role revolves around playing and physical performance rather than coaching, officiating, or ground maintenance.

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.

More Information

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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