Dan Freedman - More Questions & Answers..

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1. SHOOT TO WIN, the sequel to 2007’s THE KICK OFF follows the further adventures of Jamie Johnson as he tries to become a professional football player. What challenges are in store for Jamie in book two?

Well, we join Jamie a year on from where we left him at the end of The Kick Off. He's now 14 and that means his most major challenge is TIME. He knows that, if he is going to make it as a professional, things need to happen for him pretty much now! So, he's under enough pressure as it is but then, to make things worse, he quickly realises that his new coach seems to have a grudge against him. His professional dream is hanging by a thread...

2. Is Jamie based on any footballer in particular?

Lots of them. I've been lucky enough to meet some of the best players in the world. I've tried to pin down exactly what makes them so good and take little bits from each and put them into Jamie. If I had to pick one though, perhaps I'd say Wayne Rooney. For him, it's not about the money or the fame, it's about the love of the game. I think that's the same with Jamie.

3. Jamie faces the very real problem of his family not being able to accept his dream of becoming a professional. Do you have any advice for aspiring young footballers?

Don't give up. It you believe in your talent and your ability, you can go all the way. But be prepared for some knock-backs along the way. When he was younger, Shaun Wright-Phillips was rejected by Nottingham Forest. They said to him: "Sorry, Shaun, you're just too small to ever be a professional footballer." He could have accepted what they'd said and just given up. Instead, he backed himself to make it despite them and just used what they had said as a motivation to work even harder to achieve his goals. A few years later, he was a £20m England Player. But what would have happened if he'd just given up?

4. Can you see yourself in Jamie Johnson?

Definitely. In fact, some of my friends who have read the book have said: "Hey, Dan, you are describing yourself!" So there's a lot of me in there but also bits of other people I've met and also things I've imagined. I also hope that the people who read the books can see Jamie Johnson in them too. Deep down, so many of us have dreams of maing it big!

5. There are great tricks in the book – do they really work and where did you find them?

Yes, they do work! I spend a lot of time researching them and then describing them to an illustrator so that we get the drills exactly right. I've also had a bit of luck too; a guy I went to school with is now a professional football coach working for The FA so he's helped me a great deal to get the skills drills as perfect as they can be. I hope the skills tips help to develop thousands of wicked wingers out there!

6. Can you give us a sneaky peak at the plot for book three!?!

Well it's difficult to reveal too much about Book 3 without giving away what happens in Shoot to Win! I can tell you that Jamie will be 15/16 in the book. And it will describe the most dramatic few months in his entire life...