The Club

English Football has over 92 fully professional clubs. Players in the Premier League teams now earn an average salary of £2.3 million per annum. Meanwhile, on the bottom rung, entire squads make less in a year than Wayne Rooney takes home in a month. An army of young players sacrifice their education and prospects outside of sport for the dream of football success, despite that fact that 85% will be released from their contracts within five years. Simon Akam's book shows what the beautiful game really means for most players. Luton Town Football Club played a vital role in bringing this book to life by opening their doors and allowing a Newsweek Europe journalist to embed with them: a generous act, which has resulted in a remarkable glimpse into life in a lower league club, and the community around it.