How difficult is it to make it as a young professional footballer? ─ BBC Radio 1

Many dream of being a pro footballer, but how hard is it to turn that dream in to reality? BBC Radio 1's Dev follows Nathan and Olivia at crucial moments in their young career.

Nathan is 18 and has been at Middlesbrough's famous academy for ten years. He's made it all the way through the incredibly competitive system, and has now reached the end of his professional scholarship. The money and glamour of the footballer's life is so close now, but he still has one final meeting with his manager, when he'll find out if he's done enough to earn a full professional contract. All those years of hard work and sacrifices have been building up to this...

Olivia is 15 and captain of Birmingham City Ladies under-16s. She has always imagined playing for England one day and now that ambition is almost within reach. Dev joins her as she nervously waits for the big news from the selectors, at the same time as making a huge decision about her future: will she throw herself into football full time or prioritise her academic studies?

In the UK? Watch the full 19 minute documentary on iPlayer here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06f...