In the mag: Pogba! Football League Top 50! The rise of Conte! Defoe One-on-One!

Get your hands on the latest edition of FourFourTwo magazine – available in print and on iPad and iPhone from Wednesday, April 5

It’s sometimes easy to forgetthat Paul Pogba is 24, only oneyear older than Spurs striker Harry Kane and Everton hotshot Romelu Lukaku. While two of the Premier League’s finest young players have started torealise their full potential over the past couple of seasons,the Manchester United midfielder hasalready gotfour league titles, a global fanbase and a world record transfer fee tohis name.

That’s not to downplay either the ability or the achievements of Kane and Lukaku, but to highlight how much Pogba has accomplished in his career to date andthe pressure this brings.As we discover, all he has to do to be a successat Old Trafford is emulate Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Er, good luck.

'A £90m problem? I don't think so'

He’s the world’s most expensive player, a superstar meme whose every touch, tweet or trim is subject to scrutiny. If that wasn’t enough pressure, Paul Pogba is expected to spearhead a resurgence at Man United: bring back trophies on the pitch, be the face of the brand off it. Can he master the toughest job in football?

The making of Antonio Conte

Don’t be fooled by Antonio Conte’s incredible first season in English football – the former Juventus and Italy coach’s road to the top of the Premier League with Chelsea has been a constant battle with rejection, relegation and raging ultras.

Top 50 Football League Players

Roll up, roll up – it’s awards time! We asked fans to rate and rank the Football League’s finest performers this season. Has your club’s best player made the cut?

Charlton fans protest... in Belgium

As their team kicked off a crucial relegation clash at Northampton Town, a set of 200 die-hard Charlton Athletic supporters were over 300 miles awayin Belgium, marching rightup to their much-loathed Addicks owner’s front door.

Shelley Kerr, Stirling Uni FC manager

She may be the United Kingdom’s first female boss of a senior men’s football team, but that hasn’t stopped her laying down the law in Scotland. On your toes, lads!

Why do so many players end up broke?

It’s the unseen epidemic: the game’s rich and famous ending up penniless. We learn how excess, addiction and divorce is leading ex-millionaires to financial ruin.

The amazing evolution of training grounds

FFT looks at how training grounds have changed over 20 years, the wide range of staff members that row reside within them, the best dust-ups from the practice pitch, and the flashest training ground on the planet.

One-on-One

Sunderland and England striker Jermain Defoe answers your questions in this month's One-on-One, including: Does he regret his West Ham exit? Why did he bite Javier Mascherano? And would he go on I'm A Celebrity... or Strictly Come Dancing?

Upfront

Roberto Martinez opens up about Everton, Romelu Lukaku and winning the World Cup. Plus, Lucas Moura talks FFTthrough his greatest goal, Paul Merson recalls the games that changed his life and Djibril Cisse reveals his utter distaste for jelly.

Action Replay

April marks the return of cricket’s County Championship season, and football’s links with the red ball run a little deeper than you might think.

Performance

FourFourTwo Performance speaks to Bayern Munich's versatile defender Javi Martinez, who’s got advice on how to dominate play as the pivot. Plus, Alessandro Costacurta offers his tips on how to extend your playing career and we find out why Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have been wearing masks.

Got your copy of the new FourFourTwo? Tweet us @FourFourTwo #MyFFT

The May 2017 issue of FourFourTwo was brought to you by: Jermain Defoe, Michael Nybrandt, Djibril Cisse, Barry Roche. Paul Merson, Roberto Martinez, Lucas Moura, Jonny Evans, Corry Evans, Paul McGuinness, Paddy Crerand, Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick, Dom Matthews, Steve White, Dave Williams, Heather Alderson, Mark Newell, Kris Vanmunster, Giampiero Ventrone, Giorgio Perinetti, Peter Fairchild, Danny Cadamarteri, Louis Saha, Ramon Vega, Doctor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, Graeme Lawe, Sam Hall, Shelley Kerr, Raleigh Gowrie, Chris Geddes, Martin Lauchlan, Nathan Pond, James Coppinger, Pontus Jansson, John Akinde, Tammy Abraham, Billy Sharp, Anthony Knockaert, Javi Martinez, Alessandro Costacurta and Giovani dos Santos.

Grab it now: available in print and on iPad and iPhone from Wednesday, April 5. Subscribe to FourFourTwo here!

Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.

Latest in Stories
Fulham manager Marco Silva looks on from the dugout ahead of the FA Cup fourth round tie against Wigan Athletic at the Brick Community Stadium in Wigan, England on 8 February, 2025
'I think Marco Silva is the best manager in London - he managed to really maintain the desire to play attractive football, which was really hard over the years': Former Fulham talisman showers praise on 'impressive' Marco Silva
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim looks on following his side's defeat against AFC Bournemouth
Report reveals 10 Manchester United players leaving this summer
Tottenham Hotspur back row (L-R) Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen; front row (L-R) Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies during the Champions League match against Juventus at the Wembley Stadium on March 7, 2018 in London United Kingdom
Tottenham cult hero calls retirement - to avoid 'painkiller dependency'
Thomas Tuchel will take charge of England for the very first time this evening
'He pushed us. It was tough love, but that's Thomas' Former player reveals that the new England manager will be HARD on his players
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds aloft the Premier League trophy at the Etihad in May 2023.
Quiz! Can you name every Premier League champion... in just 90 seconds?
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: manager Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham Hotspur FC and Micky van de Venand Cristian Romero during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and West Ham United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Tottenham star Cristian Romero 'willing to do everything' to LEAVE: report
Latest in Features
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds aloft the Premier League trophy at the Etihad in May 2023.
Quiz! Can you name every Premier League champion... in just 90 seconds?
 Sheila Garcia of Real Madrid CF battle for the ball with Alessia Russo of Arsenal FC during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Finals First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and Arsenal FC at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on March 18, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
'Over two legs I expected Arsenal to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, I still think they can despite being 2-0 down,' says former Lioness Izzy Christiansen
Luiz Diaz of Colombia celebrates with James Rodriguez of Colombia after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers match between Brazil and Colombia at Arena BRB Mane Garrincha.
How to watch Colombia vs Paraguay: Live streams for World Cup qualifier
Uruguay's Argentine head coach Marcelo Bielsa (R) gives instructions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Uruguay and Argentina at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, on March 21, 2025.
How to watch Bolivia vs Uruguay: Live streams for Conmebol World Cup qualifying
BRASILIA, BRAZIL - MARCH 20, 2025: Vinicius Junior of Brazil in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers match between Brazil and Colombia at Arena BRB Mane Garrincha.
How to watch Argentina vs Brazil: Live streams for blockbuster World Cup qualifier
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Southampton FC at Anfield on March 08, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
Quiz! Can you name FourFourTwo's greatest Premier League players ever?