Inside the Academy tells the stories of a talented set of footballers spanning a quarter-century, exploring childhood aspirations and what became of them.It lifts the lid on teenage training grounds and what it takes to even come close to being a Premier League player. From Bobby Moore to Declan Rice, West Ham United has a proud history of cultivating young talent.Yet their 2023 FA Youth Cup triumph came against a backdrop of complaints about congested pathways to first-team football and inflated pay packets quelling ambition.These concerns are not unique to West Ham; they are symptomatic of the modern game. This book offers an insight into what life as a young footballer is really like, via interviews with people who've lived and breathed the game over the past 25 years.It's a must-read for anyone who wonders why child prodigies don't always become professionals and what happens to those who don't make it to the top.