![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.tompalmer.co.uk\/temp\/es_page_sections_img_thumb_390_.jpg?resize=197%2C300\")
Book 5<\/strong>\u00a0in the Football Academy<\/a> series.<\/p>\n James is a brilliant central defender.\u00a0 The best player at United and he has a great pedigree: his dad used to play for England.\u00a0 When the team go to play West Ham United, his dad\u2019s ex-club, everyone is telling James he is going to be an England player too. Read<\/strong> the first chapter of Free Kick<\/em> here.<\/a><\/p>\n Watch<\/strong> me read from Free Kick<\/i> and ask quiz questions here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Find out<\/strong> more about the other books in the\u00a0Football Academy<\/em> series here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order\u00a0<\/strong>from my local independent children\u2019s bookshop \u201cThe Thoughtful Spot\u201dhere.<\/a><\/p>\n Available from your local library,<\/a> bookshops,<\/a> Amazon<\/a> and Kindle.<\/a><\/p>\n Published by Puffin Books<\/a>.<\/p>\n Football Academy : Teamwork<\/a>\u00a0is the prequel to my 100,000 selling Football Academy <\/a>series, published by Puffin.<\/p>\n Read<\/strong>\u00a0it now\u00a0here\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Name:<\/strong> James Cunningham <\/p>\n How can James not want to be a professional footballer?<\/strong> So is it realistic to make up a story like that?<\/strong> Do you ever make up characters based on real people? <\/strong> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n “I got all these books this summer. Now this is the latest one. It is really good. James’s dad is a former pro footballer. James plays for United and he doesn’t want to be a footballer any more. Its about how he tells his dad.” <\/em>A kid’s review, Amazon<\/strong><\/span> Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order\u00a0<\/strong>from my local independent children\u2019s bookshop \u201cThe Thoughtful Spot\u201dhere.<\/a><\/p>\n Football Academy 5: Free Kick\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Email me<\/strong>\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0for more information or use my\u00a0contact form<\/strong>\u00a0here<\/a>. PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0TERMS & CONDITIONS<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Book 5\u00a0in the Football Academy series. James is a brilliant central defender.\u00a0 The best player at United and he has a great pedigree: his dad used to play for England.\u00a0 When the team go to play West Ham United, his dad\u2019s ex-club, everyone is telling James he is going to be an England player too. … Continue reading Free Kick<\/span>
\nBut James doesn\u2019t want to be a footballer. He wants to be something else.\u00a0 And before he tells that to his dad, he has to admit it to himself.<\/p>\n![\"Football](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tompalmer.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/football-academy-multi.png?resize=192%2C188&ssl=1\")
<\/a>NEW Kindle Football Academy book<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tompalmer.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Kindle-Teamwork.png?resize=126%2C188&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Starting at just 99p this summer.<\/p>\nPlayer Profile<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.tompalmer.co.uk\/temp\/es_page_sections_img_thumb_323_.jpg?resize=308%2C248\")
\nAge:<\/strong> 11
\nPosition:<\/strong> central defender
\nBest friend on team:<\/strong> Ben<\/p>\nInterview with Tom Palmer about writing Free Kick<\/h1>\n
\nI\u2019m not sure. If I\u2019d had that chance I\u2019d have given up anything to be a footballer.<\/p>\n
\nI think so. I sometimes try to write about people who would do and think things very different to me. It\u2019s not easy. That\u2019s why I always try to find things about people before I write. I knew a person who had a friend who gave up football. I spoke to him. To see how he felt. That helped me to make James\u2019 character more real. I hope.<\/p>\n
\nAll the time. I use names of people I know all the time. In fact, on page 106 of Free Kick there\u2019s a man called Jim in the story. A West Ham fan. He is based on my friend, Jim Sells, who works for the National Literacy Trust. He loves to play guitar, so I gave him a guitar in the book too.<\/p>\nReviews of Free Kick<\/h1>\n
\nTell me<\/strong> here<\/a> what you thought about Free Kick<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"free](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tompalmer.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/free-kick.jpg?resize=106%2C161&ssl=1\")
Buy Books<\/h4>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tompalmer.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/signature-footie.png?resize=300%2C241&ssl=1\")
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