Meet the cast of coaches giving players their last chance on Boot Dreams

To help them do that, a group of coaches who have worked across all levels of English football will train them through a series of matches. These matches will be played in front of a group of football scouts, with professional contracts on offer for players who stand out. Host and football superfan Roman Kemp, meanwhile, will be on hand to offer congratulations and consolation to all the players.

In the series, the team of coaches is on hand to help them with their struggles, both on and off the pitch. The coaches are on hand to offer them advice based on their experiences in the game, and a team psychologist will allow them to talk through anything stopping them from being the best player they can be.

Leading the coaches will be ex-Watford, Stoke and Burnley striker Gifton Noel-Williams, whose own experience of dealing with serious injury gives him unique insight into what the players are going through. Along the way, a series of high-profile footballers will coach the team, including England captain Millie Bright and Manchester United legend Bruno Fernandes.

Here is who else will be joining Gifton in Boot Dream’s cast of coaches, as well as everything you need to know about the BBC Three series.

Who is the host of Boot Dreams?

Radio DJ and BBC presenter Roman Kemp provides hosting duties for Boot Dreams. But he is also the self-appointed biggest fan of the players, championing them through every step of the process.

Lifelong Arsenal fan Roman even likes a kickabout with his famous friends. In his memoir, the DJ talks about playing football with the “very grounded” Harry Styles and Niall Horan.

“Being a professional footballer was never a realistic dream for me,” Roman tells the BBC, “but football is my life. I would take being a boot cleaner if that meant I could get into football professionally!”

Roman also has some football experience for himself. In 2019 and 2020 he was a member of the Soccer Aid World XI teams, playing alongside football legends like Eric Cantona, Robbie Keane and Didier Drogba.

Who are the coaches of Boot Dreams?

Gifton Noel-Williams

Leading the Boot Dreams team is ex-Premier League footballer Gifton Noel-Williams. He played professional football for teams including Watford, Stoke and Burnley. He began his professional career with a bang as Watford’s top scorer in the 1998-99 season – a season that led to the team being promoted to the Premier League.

Like many of the players in Boot Dreams, however, his professional career did not quite pan out the way he hoped. After seriously injuring his knee in a February 1999 match (the same day he had received his call up to the England Under-21 squad), arthritis in his knees meant he only made three appearances during Watford’s season in the Premier League.

Though arthritis continued to plague Gifton, he was Stoke City’s top goalscorer in the 2004 - 2005 season. Since hanging up his football boots, Gifton has worked as a coach. He has acted as a striker coach for Portsmouth and has coached the England youth teams. Since February 2023, Gifton has been the head coach of Indian side Real Kashmir FC.

“Being a coach is great,” he tells the BBC, “because it means I’m still in football and I’m also not in pain anymore following my career-halting injury.”

Jordan Broadbent

Jordan Broadbent is a specialist in developing young talent. Outside of Boot Dreams, he is the coach responsible for youth development for the Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. He has previously also been a coach at Bradford City and Barnsley FC, so he knows all about helping young talent perform to their highest at all levels of football.

Lola Ogunbote

Lola Ogunbote is the head of women’s football for Burnley FC. Though she initially trained as a lawyer, Lola followed her passion for the beautiful game. She began as an intern on Arsenal’s coaching program, and has since coached teams in both China and the UK.

Shaween Amin

While the other coaches hone the players’ skills, Shaween is working on their minds. As the team psychologist, she works to develop skills such as motivation, concentration, resilience, and confidence, as well as helping them cope with the high-pressure environment of trying to break back into professional football.

Who are the guest mentors on Boot Dreams?

Across the BBC Three series, some big names from the world of football join the players to give them some insights into what it’s like to be a professional footballer and help step up their game to the next level. These players include:

Bruno Fernandes - Manchester United midfielder and Portugal international, who talks to the team about how pressure plays into his performance.

Millie Bright - Chelsea defender and captain of the English national team for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, who discusses overcoming problems with injuries with the players.

Adebayo Akinfenwa - Striker who has played for Wycombe, Wimbledon, Doncaster, Millwall and Swansea City. Known as ‘The Beast’, he is beloved by players of the FIFA series of video games for his impressive strength within the game. This made him the perfect person to coach the team on strength, teaching them the importance of using their power and size.

Anton Ferdinand - the former Premier League player for West Ham and QPR who speaks to the Boot Dreams squad about having confidence on the pitch.

Liv Cook - a seven-time world record holder for freestyle football and presenter on BBC Three’s MOTDx who provides a much-needed pep talk for the team.

How to watch Boot Dreams

You can watch all six episodes of Boot Dreams: Now or Never on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 20 August at 6am.