The Dream Factory

Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Football Book of the Year 'A forensic insight into how our football academies operate. Every angle covered by a splendid author' - Daniel Taylor, The Athletic With unparalleled behind-the-scenes access to academies at all levels of English football, The Dream Factory: Inside the Make-or-Break World of Football's Academies is a journey deep into the heart of youth football, revealing in gripping detail how home-grown Premier League stars such as Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold are created, and at what cost. The Dream Factory introduces a rich array of characters - players, coaches, directors - behind talent production lines at several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City, zooming in on the stories of Alexander-Arnold's unique development, how Rashford's sense of social responsibility was nurtured, and how Phil Foden has become a beacon to City's young hopefuls.

Ryan Baldi is a sportswriter and author with years of experience covering major live events, interviewing key figures and producing popular and insightful features. His work is featured by BBC Sport, The Guardian, World Soccer magazine, FourFourTwo, The Independent, the i newspaper and more. His first book, The Next Big Thing: How Football's Wonderkids Lose Their Way, was published in 2019. He was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2021 for The Dream Factory: Inside the Make or Break World of Football's Academies.