Author, Speaker, Ambassador

Dan Freedman

Information

Dan Freedman

Dan Freedman is a Sunday Times bestselling author, whose global booksales have surpassed 1 million copies.

He is best known for his hugely popular series of Jamie Johnson football novels.

The books – about a kid who is aiming to become the greatest player in the world – have developed a reputation for getting reluctant readers into books and have been adapted for TV by the BBC.

The Jamie Johnson drama series has been broadcast in 73 different countries. Having watched it when growing up, Jude Bellingham commented: “I almost feel like I am Jamie Johnson now.”

Before becoming an author, Dan was managing editor for The Football Association.

He has interviewed the likes of Messi and Ronaldo and travelled to two World Cups as the first-ever in-house journalist to be embedded with the England Team.

He was also part of the official delegations to meet Queen Elizabeth II, two Prime Ministers and Nelson Mandela.

When not writing, Dan gives inspirational talks at schools and sports clubs. His mission is to make reading and writing cool and he works closely alongside the Premier League.

He has now made more than 2000 school visits and it was those experiences that inspired him to write the award-winning teen thriller – Unstoppable. The story is about Roxy and Kaine, two supremely talented siblings, whose sky-high sporting ambitions ultimately put both their lives in danger. Unstoppable has been recommended by Marcus Rashford, who said the book was “like a little movie'” and reminded him of his own household when we was growing up.

Dan’s most recent novel, I Am Lenny Brown, picks up on the anxieties that many young people are suffering from having missed out on a big part of their social development during lockdown. Lenny is a deeply sensitive, highly intelligent boy, who is a big character at home, but can’t speak when he’s at school. The story has been compared to the novel Wonder.

2024 saw the publication of Dan’s first non-fiction book. 50 Ways Into Football, written with the sports lawyer Daniel Geey, explores all the different ways young people can aim for a career which involves football, without being one of the 22 players on the pitch. Declan Rice has provided the foreword and the aim of the book is to channel young football fans’ passion for the game into a motivational force as they start to think about which careers they might want to pursue.

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Dan Freedman School Event

Frequently asked quick-fire

Questions

What made you want to go into writing?

I wanted to share the amazing experiences I’d been lucky enough to have in football through a compelling story that would draw people in.

Who is the most famous player you've interviewed?

CR7. (a.k.a Cristiano Ronaldo!) I interviewed him twice. We got on quite well.

How old were you when you started writing?

13 or 14. I wrote to every newspaper in the country asking if I could come and do work experience doing my school holidays.

Why do you love football so much?

Incredible unscripted drama. The magic of a goal. The reflections of life. The escape from life. Connecting with people that you might not otherwise know or be able to communicate with. That moment when a player beats their opponent with a flourish of skill…

Which is the biggest match that you have ever reported on?

The 2002 World Cup Quarter Final between England and Brazil.

How did you come up with the ideas of Jamie Johnson?

They are all based on people, players or moments that I have met in life down the years. Football and life are so rich, you don’t need to make stories up.

Which JJ book is your favourite?

That’s like asking a parent which is your favourite child!

Will you write another Jamie Johnson book?

If people want more, I would hate to disappoint them…

When will Series 5 of 'Jamie Johnson' come out?

It’s out now! – Watch on iplayer

Will you ever write a different series of books?

I’ve written a new book called Unstoppable that’s out now.

Media

Testimonials

Press

Here Is What They Are Saying

"Pure joy."

“A hot talent in children's literature"

"A must for junior football fans"