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.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Paul Brand has been a West Ham fan since the age of six. Some of the hopes, highs and heartbreaks of merely following the team are documented in his previous book, Fortune's Always Hiding: From Stratford to Seville (2023). Callum McNaughton is a former player who joined West Ham in his early teens, made his debut in 2011, and had a career in the lower leagues before settling down to a new life in America.
Callum McNaughton joined West Ham as a tousle-haired teenager and signed a professional contract in 2010, aged 18. He made his debut on 24 August 2011 in a calamitous 2-1 League Cup defeat at home to Aldershot Town. Part of the calamity was the debutant being shown a 47th-minute red card. It remains the only time he has ever represented West Ham in a competitive first-team match. Before injuries forced him to end his playing career at age 26 after a subsequent loan to AFC Wimbledon, a permanent move, and stints with various non-league clubs in London and the home counties. He now lives in the United States with his wife, Alyssa, enjoying life as a school's football programme director and coaching in the US youth club scene, with aspirations to be a sports psychologist.
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Publisher: Empire Publications
Published: May 13, 2024
Price: £14.99
Hardback: 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 1801509794
ISBN-13 : 9781801509794
Dimensions: 222 x 144 mm
