Jacopo Jacopo Football Star is the amazing story based on truth of a boy wanting to get involved with Football, the biggest sporting industry in the world. Liverpool is an amazing diversely populated city. There seems to be football sewn into the fibre of the city. Meet Jacopo, a mixed-heritage child of Nigerian and Italian ancestry. He is a 10 year old boy and has a lot to tell you about that summer when his dream to play football started to seem like it could become a reality. Jacopo is amazing, talented and funny; he thinks he has what it takes to be a footballer. Does he? The book takes a look at access to institutions and what our young people of colour have to tackle in this regard. The book shows that UK football academies have really worked hard, using partnerships to increase diversity and to attain a harmonious racial atmosphere amongst this generation of young boys aspiring to be professional footballers. Is there more to football than the kits, kecks and a kick about? Definitely, football is about partnerships, cooperation, hard work, and if Jacopo perseveres, football will lead to economic wealth and the ability to give back to his community. What else does the journey involve? As he rises through the ranks he gets a superior education and the more he plays football, the fitter and healthier he gets. All of this positions him for success. This is an endearing story about a dream, a fragile family, and friendships along the way of getting your game on. This is his hard work, his story. Told in his words, Jacopo Jacopo, Football Star resonates with multiple SDGs, particularly: 3- Good health and wellbeing; 4 - Quality education; 5 - Gender equality; 8 - Decent work and economic growth; 10 - Reduced inequalities; 11 - Safe, resilient and sustainable cities, SDG 16- Peace, justice and strong institutions and 17 - Partnership for the goals.
Phina Oruche is of Nigerian descent and based in Liverpool, UK. She is a successful fashion model, a radio presenter and an actress. She is well-known for her roles Hollyoaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the ITV series, Footballers Wives, in which she played Liberty Baker and won a Screen Nations Award for favourite TV star.
Jacopo Jacopo Football Star is her debut novel which she wrote during Covid-19 lockdown. With this chronicle of a 10 year old's journey as a footballer from grassroots to signing with a Premier League team, she hopes to motivate children, particularly young boys, to read.
John Bailey is currently in lower-sixth form in London. He is studying History, Classics and Philosophy and hopes to study law or business at university. His hobbies are keeping fit, playing football and hanging out with close friends. When he isn't at school, he works as an amateur FA football referee. The Sustainable Development Goal that means the most to Jonny is SDG 3 because he believes governments have a minimum responsibility to provide good health care and it's a failure of governments if they don't. Without good health, you are limited in what you can contribute to the world.
Minna Salami is a Scandinavian-Nigerian scholar whom it has been a privilege to encounter ...
