Declan Rice has disclosed that he would have to pursue a career in football even if his dream of becoming a professional player was not realised.

The midfielder for England is getting ready for Euro 2024, when he will lead Gareth Southgate’s team.

Additionally, Rice has written about his ambition to become a successful football player in a new book called 50 Ways Into Football, written by sports attorney Daniel Geey and former FA editor Dan Freedman.

“I have dreamed of becoming a professional football player since I was young,” the Arsenal star wrote in the book’s foreword. Thankfully, that dream came true for me. 

Despite my passion for the game, I am aware that even if I hadn’t succeeded as a football player—as many others do—I would still have desired a position in the industry.

“As a professional football player, I get to work with a lot of people who play different roles in the game, and if I wasn’t in the football world, I wouldn’t have known about most of these jobs.”

There are more careers in the football industry than you may imagine, from coaching to marketing to analytics, so whatever your skill set, there is a place for you!

“You will succeed in whatever direction you choose as long as you put in a lot of effort, have faith in your abilities, and never give up.”

Alessia Russo, Ella Toone, Paul Barber, Alan Shearer, and Eberechi Eze, a colleague of Rice’s in England, have all contributed to the book.

Additionally, Freedman and Geey stated, “The response to the book has been incredible.” As soon as we brought up the topic to any professional, they all wаnted to be involved. When we were younger, so many of us heard the same advice: “forget about football and concentrate on getting a proper job.”

“We believe it’s time to flip that around and tell the next generation, let’s use that energy to find the right job in the industry if football is what you love and are passionate about.”