From the playground to the premier league, Leo K. Doyle brings his soccer skills and sports savvy to all that he does…even riding the bench.
Leo has beaten all the odds and made the roster of a Premier League youth squad. But he is far from the star player.
In fact, he isn't even a starter-and the U14 Lewisham Knights are the worst team in the league. They're so bad that if they don't improve this year, the owner will disband the team, and riding the bench will be the least of Leo's worries.
As Leo juggles pressure from his team, schoolwork, and (lack of) friends, Leo cannot help but feel like he is worlds away from home and all that he knows. Will he be able to score a starting spot on the world's biggest soccer stage or has he missed his shot entirely?
For premier fans and soccer enthusiasts, T.Z. Layton's hilarious and inspiring second book in The Academy series is perfect for middle grade readers ages 7-13.
Meet Leo and his soccer-loving lizard named Messi in the first book from The Academy series:
| ISBN: | 9781464268809 |
| Publication date: | 2nd September 2025 |
| Author: | T Z Layton |
| Publisher: | Sourcebooks Young Readers an imprint of Sourcebooks |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 294 pages |
| Series: | The Academy |
| Genres: |
Children’s / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction Football Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Bullying and harassment Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: First / new experiences and growing up / coming of age Sporting Stories |