The boy with the lightning feet by Sally Gardner - Timmy has amazing athletic ability but lacks confidence until his grandfather, a parrot called Sheriff and an eccentric trainer come to his aid.
If you prefer something with romance as well as football you might like Over the moon by G.G. Eliot. Ella is a member of the football team and is used to being treated as one of the boys. How will Ella react when she gets a makeover to attend a charity ball and suddenly her teammates see her in a different light?
For a football thriller Mal Peet's Exposure is set in South America and looks at the impact the media can have on the lives of people whether famous or not.
For a quick read with a historical emphasis there is Billy the kid by Michael Morpurgo. Billy was picked to play for Chelsea in 1939 but World War II got in the way. Now eighty Billy remembers the tale of his past glory.
