Football fans are counting down the hours until the start of the World Cup, which kicks off in Russia this Thursday and will see the globe gripped once more by football fever.

As the only UK team to make it to the tournament, England will be hoping to come out on top of Group G to progress to the second round and beyond. Let’s dare to dream!

The 2014 FIFA World Cup reached an incredible 3.2 billion viewers, including 1 billion who watched the final between Germany and Argentina.

As sports fans from every corner of the world gather around TV sets to watch their team, many young fans will be inspired to declare: “I want to be a footballer!”

For a talented few, their dreams will become reality.

But forging a career in the beautiful game doesn’t always mean scoring a winner in the World Cup final. It can involve many different roles on and off the pitch.

For those who have the talent and drive, joining a youth squad of an established club is a well-trodden path to a professional career.

At the other end of their career, many players will go on to forge second careers as talent scouts or managers. For those who can handle the intense pressure of management, the financial rewards are handsome for those who reach the top.

According to Business Insider, in 2017 Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola took home a cool £15.3 million, just ahead of his rival across the city, Jose Mourinho, who was reputably paid £15 million.

While the players and managers are the front-of-house stars, there’s a whole back stage crew working away to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Health

Physiotherapists and team medics look after the physical wellbeing of players, who must be at peak fitness throughout the season. Doctors will also give potential new players a full MOT before they’re allowed to sign up to a team.

Education

A popular career move for those who have played sport at any level is coaching, either at professional club level or with youngsters. Qualifications are taken through The Football Association.

A Physical Education teacher, meanwhile, can earn between £16,250 and £46,500, depending on experience and seniority.

Media

Outwith the clubs, related industries such as sports journalism can offer what is surely a dream job for any sports fan – the chance to get paid to watch from the sidelines, commentating on the action or writing about it for a newspaper.

Retail

Sports retail is big business and supports many related jobs. If you’re interested in the latest technology in sportswear and gadgets – and you’re a natural people person –being a shop assistant or manager offers a great opportunity to get first sight of the latest must-haves and also talk sport all day long.

Specialists

If you have a passion for the beautiful game, but not necessarily world-class ball skills, there are other ways for you to work within football. From accountancy to event management, catering to secretarial services, sport is a business like any other and needs a variety of specialists.

With all the latest vacancies across sport and leisure, we can help you score your dream job.