Being a highly paid and successful Premier League star is every schoolboy's dream. You are guaranteed glory, wealth and headlines - or at least that is how it is supposed to be. The real story behind every football star's rise to the top is a fascinating one of growing up in public, agents, scandal, rows and big money. From the beginning of the journey, playing in the park to being spotted, signed up and then snatched for stardom, a young player will go through more twists and turns than you could ever imagine. In this fascinating Haynes Manual, we look at the various obstacles along the way including famous managers, unscrupulous agents and the incredible deals. With the benefit of insider knowledge and information, you can soon see the perils and pitfalls behind every success story. The Manual will look at the riches on offer for the best youngsters to join the top clubs and look at some of the tactics employed to persuade kids and parents to switch sides, it will look at the lengths some clubs will go to as they try to snap up the best youngsters. The manual will also include the work of the agents - why the best youngsters are sought after commodities. Why agents will go to great lengths, promising boot deals, big money contracts and riches for the parents to get the best young players to sign with them. They will stop at nothing. Top agents will think nothing of snatching the best young players from other agents if they think they are on course for the top. Discover the inside story of players going off the rails, losing their way and the great lengths agents, managers and clubs go to keep the players out of the news. Examining the deals - from tapping up to backhanders, the inside story on how managers, parents and players get cut into football's multi billion pound industry as money makes the world go round. The contracts, the clauses and add-ons. How contracts work and how players can get everything from flights, apartments and freebies for their families written into their deals. The inside track on how players have to keep themselves in shape and how clubs make sure they maintain their prize asset. If you want to own a professional footballer this is the Haynes Owners Manual that you will need to succeed.