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How to break into professional football if you aren't in a club's youth academy

It can be incredibly difficult to pick yourself up and continue on in the pursuit of a dream, but there are a number of aids to consider

Football is a difficult business to get into and it's not uncommon to hear individuals who have been through the system to say they were put through the wringer.

It is a seriously competitive realm, particularly at the elite level, where miniscule variations in speed, strength and technique can make all the difference between earning a deal and not.

The unforgiving nature of the selection process can be entirely demoralising for those who don't manage to ride the conveyor belt from the youth academy into the first team and many players give up hope.