Nice One, Sam!

Sam is a small, thin boy who gets bullied at school. He's mad about football, but no-one wants him on their team. He collects football stickers and can't believe his luck when he manages to get one of his hero, Mika Tailer - the best goalie in the world. Then Sam discovers that his sticker is magic. Suddenly, he can play brilliant football and is picked for the school team. But in his excitement, Sam handles the ball and his team loses. Sam has one last chance to play - in goal. Disaster strikes when the bullies tear up his sticker. But Sam finds he's a natural goalie and becomes a hero when his team win the match. John Goodwin has written numerous football books for children and his excellent knowledge of the game makes his descriptions of matches highly believable and exciting. This is an immediate and pacy story about football, featuring a likable and sympathetic hero, with a sprinkling of magic. It features sensitive storyline about bullying and how the young hero fights back through his own growing self-confidence.