Have you ever wondered what it would be like to design your own football boot and get a professional footballer to wear it?

As part of the Premier League ‘Creating Chances’ community programme, North East school children have had the chance to develop and market a football boot for Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng.

Former Dutch international Boateng currently wears Nike Total 90 Laser’s, but was interested in finding out new and innovative ideas that could be brought to the world of football boot design.

The Riverside favourite was impressed with the finished products, saying “they came up with ideas that we adults wouldn’t even think of, and some ideas that I would really like to see like thermal heating and football boots in the colours of the home and away kit, so hopefully those things will be introduced in the future.”

Boateng hopes that the enterprising designs would “motivate and stimulate” the students to act on their ideas. The Ghanaian born player was particularly taken by a design for thermal football boots. “My feet start getting cold in October, so I would be the first to buy some!”

What creative ideas would you bring to the world of football boot design if you worked as a designer for one of the big football boot brands?

Reebok Sprintfit football boot wearers Iker Casillas and Thierry Henry have helped to launch Reebok’s ‘Two people in Everyone’ campaign.

The football boot brand’s marketing campaign compares and contrasts the private sides of the Real Madrid goalie and the Barcelona striker with their more recognisable ‘on duty’ personalities.

The Reebok Sprintfit duo unveiled a series of stunning shadow sculptures that depict the opposing on and off-field personas of the world’s leading sport and entertainment icons.

Thierry Henry’s sculpture includes basketball materials to represent his favourite sport outside of football. Iker Casillas’s sculpture includes a copy of the romantic British comedy hit ‘Notting Hill’ - Iker’s favourite film. Other notable objects used in the sculptures include sushi, classic novels, anti-racism literature, hawaiian shirts and photographs of Scarlett Johannson.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas said: “The sculpture is great. It provides a good insight into my life away from the football pitch. The sculptors have done an excellent job - I can’t believe they’ve managed to create a perfect shadow image of me from all of those different objects. ”

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry added: “The Two People in Everyone campaign shows that you can’t always judge sports people by the way you see them when they’re in action. It’s great to get the opportunity to show another side of our personalities to people.”

In this second instalment, Giles Coke talks about his move to Northampton Town this summer.

Hi and welcome back to my Coke Column!

I had two seasons at Mansfield Town but believed it was time to move on at the end of last season. I became a proud father to a little girl at the start of the year and felt that I needed to move closer to my family. Although, I am appreciative to Mansfield for giving me my start in professional football, I also wanted to play at a higher level.

Mansfield offered me new terms at the end of the season which I turned down and I then left it to my agent at Touchline Soccer to use his contacts to find me a new club. Although I had suffered a knee cartilage injury in January, my agent told me that there was still a good amount of interested clubs; it was nice to feel wanted!

I sat down with my agent and family to discuss my future and talked about the clubs that had shown an interest in me. There were about half a dozen clubs who had shown a firm interest in me, but to be honest when I found out about Northampton’s interest in signing me, it was quite a straightforward decision. I was impressed with the way Northampton had performed after Stuart Gray took over last season, and I had heard really positive things about him as a manager and how the team played. Talking to him for the first time, he also seemed to know me well as a player and he made me want to be part of his plans at Northampton.

The morning I was due to sign at Northampton didn’t start too well! I had flown in from a family holiday in the early hours. My flight was delayed and then the car broke down, meaning I had barely got to sleep by the time I had to leave for Northampton in my girlfriend’s car! I was due to meet the Manager, Chairman and my agent at the stadium but I should have known after my already problematic day, I would inevitably get stuck in the rush hour traffic and roadworks on the M1 around Luton.

After arriving at the ground, the Manager introduced me to the club staff and showed me around. I was then whisked off for my medical at a local doctor’s surgery before returning to sign my contract.

As I am under 24, although I was out of contract, Northampton had to pay compensation to Mansfield. I was required to attend the tribunal in London, which took place on Monday. The tribunal panel spoke to Mansfield and Northampton and myself, and set a fee for Northampton to pay, which is up to £70,000 depending on appearances. Though I had to go to the hearing, it was really a matter for the two clubs.

My job now is to work exceptionally hard to get over my recent injury and force myself into the Manager’s plans when I am fully fit.

Your questions:

Were you the best player in your school and when did you realise you had a chance of playing football as a career? From Alan

I was one of the best players at school. I remember there being one lad who was bigger and stronger than the rest of us when I was younger. He had a pretty powerful shot.

I don’t think I really thought I had a chance of making it as a player until I got to QPR. I had always been told I was technically good from an early age and I scored a lot of hat tricks when I played Sunday league football when I was 13 or 14.

How did you get signed up by QPR? From Will

I attended QPR summer schools for about 4 or 5 years. I kept winning Player of the Week and Player of the Tournament Awards. The guy that ran the soccer schools was also a Football in the Community Office for QPR and he managed to get me a trial. I did well at the trial and QPR signed me.

Giles, which team do you support? Do you have a favourite player, past or present, or both? From Dan

I’m a Gooner! I’ve supported Arsenal from a young age. Ian Wright was my favourite player, I used to love watching him play.

My favourite current player is Steven Gerrard, who also wears Adidas Predator Absolutes, like me. He is obviously a central midfielder as well, and is a great role model. He works really hard, he’s got such a great engine, and he’s obviously very passionate about playing for Liverpool and England.

Keep sending in your questions, and see you all in two weeks!

Footy Boots, is proud to announce the launch of the Footy-Boots.com Football Boot Awards 2007 in association with Zoo.

The international football boot awards will recognise excellence in the football boot industry, giving plaudits to the manufacturers of the football boots of the year.

Football boot brands have nominated their leading football boots from the 2006/7 season, to be voted on by you the Footy-Boots.com audience.

Football Boot of the Year
Football Boot Brand of the Year
Best Looking Football Boot
Most Comfortable Football Boot
Most Innovative Football Boot

Voting will run on Footy-Boots.com for a two week period between Tuesday 2nd October and Tuesday 16th October, 2007.

Footy-Boots.com will announce the 2007 Football Boot Award winners on Tuesday 30th October.

By voting in the first ever global Football Boot Awards, you will be put into a draw to win a pair of football boots for the rest of your playing career!*

To vote for your top football boots and have the chance to win a supply of your favourite football boot company’s boots for the rest of your playing career*, be sure to log on to the Footy-Boots awards section between the 2nd and 16th October.

*Based on 1 pair of football boots per season for a maximum of five seasons

Everton manager David Moyes believes football boots are to blame for the recent outbreak of metatarsal injuries being suffered by the Premiership’s top footballers.

Emile Heskey (Nike Air Legend), Xabi Alonso (Adidas Predator Absolute) and Daniel Agger (Adidas Predator Absolute) are the most recent players to suffer metatarsal injuries, whilst Wayne Rooney (Nike Total 90 Laser), Steven Gerrard (Adidas Predator Absolute) and David Beckham (Adidas Predator Absolute Globe) have all suffered the same fate.

Everton have not escaped lightly with Australian midfielder Tim Cahill breaking a metatarsal after landing awkwardly in his Umbro X Boot III in a preseason game against Werder Bremen.

Scot Moyes has stated he is “no expert” but believes modern lightweight football boots are definitely a factor in the increase in foot injuries.

The former Preston manager went on to say: “I might get sued by one of the big companies if I say, but I think it’s a big part of it. Players can now pull their boots on like slippers and that did not used to be the case.”

Meanwhile Tim Cahill has had new football boots made to help prevent a recurrence of his metatarsal injury.

He said: “I don’t want to put my body at risk when it is such an innocuous thing that happened - to jump and land. I have had new boots made, I have tried different orthotics (foot supports).”

“I have kept my weight down and tried to build more muscle and I have been doing different things with the physios and nutritionists as well to make myself stronger for when I get back.”

Footy Boots has secured the exclusive release of Nike’s Gattuso and The Sanchez Boys video viral before it launches anywhere else!

Following the Wayne Rooney and Torsten Frings Nike Total 90 Laser ‘Put It Where You Want It’ videos, you can see how Gennaro Gattuso gets on in his Sanchez Boys challenges, right now only on Footy Boots TV

The Sanchez Boys discovered exactly how accurate and powerful Gattuso’s Nike Total 90 Laser football boots really are when they met him and his pit-bull dog at a local football pitch in Calabria in southern Italy.

Gattuso immediately scored maximum points by hitting targets strategically displayed on vulnerable Sanchez Boys’ body parts in a series of trials including:

‘Mr Gattuso’s Big Wheel Challenge’ : Gattuso fires shots at the Sanchez Boys who are stood at the top of a ramp. One-by-one, they ride inside a giant wheel and Gattuso must hit the wheel as it travels down the ramp. Gattuso immediately collects points when he hits the Sanchez Boys on his first attempt with his Total 90 Lasers.

‘Mr Gattuso’s Scooter Challenge’ : The Sanchez Boys have to get past Gattuso on a variety of vehicles without being hit by footballs being fired by Rino. Scooters, mini-bikes and an opera singer is involved!

‘Gattuso’s Pendulum Challenge’ : The Sanchez Boys are positioned in a moving device inside the goal and Gattuso has to hit specific targets whilst they are swinging from goal-post to goal-post. The Sanchez Boys end up on the floor and maximum points go to Gattuso.

Gattuso commented: “I have really had fun today with these 4 Englishmen. They are mad, in the sense that they let me do anything to them.

After close to six weeks out with a hairline foot fracture, Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney made his comeback last night in the Red Devils 1-0 Champions League victory at Sporting Lisbon.

The striker has become frustrated at Sir Alex Ferguson and the Old Trafford medical staff preventing him from returning earlier, having been straining at the leash over the last few weeks.

I’ve been dying to play,” Rooney said. “I feel I could have played a few weeks ago, so I’m a bit disappointed I wasn’t able to. It’s the third time I’ve had this injury and I’m obviously disappointed it happened so early in the season. Because I’ve had it before, I know when I’m ready to play and come back.”

Rooney’s foot fracture has reopened the debate about whether the lightweight design of modern football boots is to blame for the high number of foot injuries.

Rooney has however defended his Nike Total 90 Laser football boots:

“There’s been a lot of talk about the boots and a lot of old pros who played the game years ago coming out and talking about the boots,” he said. “But they don’t know what the boots are like. If you had a lad like Duberry stand on your foot, your foot is most likely going to break. I like to be an explosive player and I think that’s why it happens.”

Meanwhile, United’s north west rivals Liverpool have become the latest club to be inflicted by the curse of the metatarsal, with the club announcing that Adidas Predator Absolute wearing duo Daniel Agger and midfielder Xabi Alonso are likely to be out for six weeks, after suffering stress fractures to their 2nd (right foot) and 4th (left foot) metatarsals respectively.

Following a smooth passage through the third qualifying round of the Champions League for both Arsenal and Liverpool, the two English clubs line up alongside Chelsea and Man Utd as the 2007/8 Champions League group stages begin this week.

Last seasons European Cup saw Manchester United, Chelsea and eventual runners up Liverpool all reach the Semi Finals. Indeed, with an English side reaching the final the last three years on the bounce, Footy Boots is confident we could see an English club lifting the Champions League trophy at Russia’s Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday 21 May 2008.

AC Milan and Barcelona are sure to provide a stiff test to the English quartet’s hopes, however if the two north west and two London clubs progress through the group stages, past history shows that once the knockout rounds begin, teams can often come out of nowhere to win. Look at Porto in 2004 and who can forget Liverpool’s dramatic win against AC Milan in 2005.

Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League, and although they have lost Thierry Henry (Reebok Sprintfit) to Barcelona, they have a young and eager team, who are hungry for success. In new signing Bacary Sagna (Puma V-Konstrukt II), they possess a pacy full back, likely to run the line all day long. Cesc Fabregas (Nike Air Legend) is beginning to dominate the midfield and chip in with fantastic goals, whilst striker Robin Van Persie (Adidas Predator Absolute Power) is every defender’s nightmare.

Manchester United, after a patchy start, have Wayne Rooney (Nike Total 90 Laser) returning from injury, to partner newly recruited Carlos Tevez (Nike Air Legend), with wing wizard Christiano Ronaldo (Nike Mercurial Vapor III) back from suspension.

Liverpool have spent wisely in signing Fernando Torres (Nike Total 90 Laser), Marcus Babel (Nike Mercurial Vapor III), and Andriy Voronin (Adidas Predator Absolute), and look like they have finally solved their Premiership goal scoring problem; well apart from last weekend! This season’s squad shows increased depth, which may allow the Anfield club to challenge on more than one front.

Chelsea’s Florent Malouda (Nike Total 90 Laser) has stated that he has struggled to settle into the English way of life, but he is likely to put his worries behind him and tear into opposition defences. Didier Drogba (Nike Mercurial Vapor III), although missing tonight through a knee injury, will surely spare Chelsea’s blushes on more than one occasion this campaign with his vital goals. Though the Michael Ballack (Adidas Predator Absolute) saga continues to run, with the club seemingly looking to force him out, the Stamford Bridge club are well equipped in midfield with ‘Super’ Frank Lampard (Adidas Predator Absolute), Michael Essien (Nike Total 90 Laser), and Joe Cole (Nike Air Legend).

This season’s Champions League matches will be played using the Adidas “Finale 7″ football, which you can order now from the Footy Boots shop.

Matchday 1 fixtures:

Chelsea v Rosenborg
Porto v Liverpool
Sporting v Man Utd
Arsenal v Sevilla

Emile Heskey is the latest England player to be hit by the curse of the broken metatarsal.

Heskey, who has been lauded over the past week as one of the main catalysts for England’s impressive wins over Israel and Russia, suffered the injury after nine minutes of Wigan’s Premiership encounter aganst Fulham on Saturday.

The Latics striker cracked his fifth metatarsal, whilst wearing his Nike Air Legends’, after jumping in the air and coming down on his ankle. Not through kicking the ball, not even through a crunching tackle.

The England target man is likely to be out for a period of six weeks, meaning he will be a major doubt for England’s Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia in October.

Heskey joins a long list of England players who have suffered the curse of the metatarsal injury over recent years.

Below is a list of the members of the unwanted group and their current football boots of choice.

David Beckham - Adidas Predator Absolute Globe
Gary Neville - Adidas Predator Absolute
Danny Murphy - Nike Air Zoom Total 90
Steven Gerrard - Adidas Predator Absolute
Scott Parker - Puma v-Konstrukt
Ashley Cole - Adidas Predator Absolute
Michael Owen - Umbro X Boot III
Ledley King - Adidas Predator Absolute
Wayne Rooney - Nike Total 90 Laser
Joey Barton -Nike Total 90 Laser

A quick fire round-up of the world of football, oh and football boots.

With football boot news a bit thin on the ground today, the Footy Boots team decided to take you on a roller coaster ride of football boots snippets on the web. Hold tight!

Women’s World Cup

Purists may dismiss the Women’s World Cup in China, but Footy Boots can assure you it is taken very seriously. We reported yesterday that Kelly Smith celebrated scoring against the Japanese, by taking of her X Boot III football boots and kissing them. Well the England manager has put a stop to that stating “I didn’t like it, I thought it was disrespectful - she won’t be doing it again”. The Footy Boots team are now eagerly awaiting her next goal and wondering what she might remove instead.

As if that’s not enough to demonstrate that the Women’s World Cup is now a major event, the Danish team are furious after losing to China on Wednesday night. They claim they were spied on during tactical discussions behind a two way mirror. The Danes had taken photographs to prove the spying, but had their camera stolen. It all kicked off after the game when a member of the Denmark staff allegedly punched a member of the Chinese team.

Michael Ballack

The ongoing confusion about Ballack’s omission from Chelsea’s 23 man squad for the Champions League group phases continues.

Adidas carried out some biomechanical tests on Ballack, although the results are not confirmed, German medical staff admitted that he may not be back next month, contrary to what they had said previously.

It seems that the ’special one’ was right to leave him out of the squad, and that the claims from Germany coach Joachim Low, Franz Beckenbauer and Oliver Bierhoff were a load of Ballack’s.

Tough Brazil Nut

This week saw Michael Owen score four goals in his White/Red England colourway Umbro X Boot III’s, to save Steve McClaren from the chop. As if not enough to cheer up the “Ginger One”, he will no doubt be chuckling at the FA’s first choice for the England manager’s job, the Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Scolari’s Portugal drew with Serbia on Wednesday night, putting Portugal in doubt of qualification for the European Championships. Tempers flared at the final whistle, when Scolari threw a jab at Serbian Dragutinovic.

Scolari said he didn’t make contact. Dragutinovic said the punch brushed his cheek. You make your own conclusion - watch the video.

England striker Michael Owen put his injury problems behind him to notch 3 goals in the Three Lions two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia, and provide a huge boost to football boot brand Umbro following the recent slump in England football shirt sales.

Since first wearing the White/Red England colourway Umbro X Boot III in February, the Newcastle United goal getter has had little opportunity to show off his flashy football boots due to his well documented injury problems. Image conscious Owen ensures that his football boots match his football kit, preferring to wear his Black/White colour way Umbro X Boot III, when playing for his club side. After scoring his 38th, 39th and 40th England goals to creep closer to Bobby Charlton’s record, he probably wishes he could wear his England colour way X Boot III for all his matches.

Last week we reported that England football shirt supplier Umbro had been suffering a replica shirt sales slump, which they put down to a run of poor performances by the England team, and bizarrely the bad weather we have experienced over the summer. Following two professional performances by Steve McClaren’s men which have put the Three Lions Euro 2008 qualification campaign back on track and stabilised the England manager’s position, as well as an improvement in the weather, Umbro will hope sales of England football shirts will begin to increase, especially in the run up to Christmas.

As if to add to the Umbro feel good factor this week, England womens’ striker Kelly Smith decided to kiss her X Boot III football boots after bagging two goals in the 2-2 draw with Japan in the FIFA Womens World Cup. Lets hope Kelly receives a whopping bonus from Umbro for her show of brand loyalty.

Hi everyone and welcome to The Coke Column. I am really pleased to have the opportunity to write my own column for Footy-Boots.com.

As a football boot enthusiast, Footy-Boots helps keep me updated with everything that is going on with football boots and lets me know when a new range of my favourite football boots are going to be released.

I am going to try my best to give you a perspective on what it’s like to be a professional footballer, as well as keeping you updated with my news and answering any questions you may have.

This week I am going to tell you about my career so far and how I have got to where I am.

I was born in Paddington in London. I went to school just down the road in Chiswick. Whilst at school I preferred being out on the sports field rather than sitting in the classroom. I enjoyed playing loads of sport at school, obviously football was the sport I enjoyed the most but I was also a quite decent 800m runner, and played quite a lot of basketball and table tennis.

After leaving school at 16, I joined QPR. Whilst at QPR, I also did a college GNVQ in Sport and Leisure, to have something to fall back on in case things didn’t work out. Unfortunately I was let go by QPR at 18. To be honest, I was in pieces when Tim Breacker and Garry Waddock released me. After getting rejected by a club, a lot of players just sack football off altogether, however I was determined to prove myself and become a professional footballer.

I trialled at various different clubs including Bristol City and Crystal Palace. I was offered a contract by Bristol City but coincidentally at the same time I was offered a trial at Fulham. It was a hard decision to make, but I decided to have a crack at winning a contract at Fulham. Unfortunately things didn’t work out and I ended up signing for non league Kingstonian.

Whilst I was at Kingstonian I picked up an office job to give me some extra money. I was playing pretty well for Kingstonian and that encouraged the then Mansfield Town manager Carlton Palmer to take me in on trial. Only a few days later, I was making my League debut away at Bristol Rovers.

After two years at Mansfield, I was given the opportunity to join Northampton Town in the summer.

I suffered a knee cartilage injury back in January whilst playing for Mansfield. There have been several complications since and it’s been pretty frustrating sitting on the sidelines for nearly nine months.

I’m looking forward to pulling on a Northampton Town shirt soon and repaying the faith the manager has shown in signing me.

Your questions:

How many pair of football boots do you have and who cleans them? from Artur

Hi Artur, good question.
I currently have four pairs of football boots. I wear the moulded version of the Adidas Predator Absolute. I’ve always worn Adidas football boots since I can remember. I usually go through about four pairs of football boots a season. Obviously so far this season I’ve not had as much use of them as I would have liked! One of the youth team players cleans my football boots for me.

Who are your best mates in football? from Chris D

Adam Birchall (Umbro X Boot III) and Jon D’Laryea (Adidas Predator Absolute).

Birchy now plays for Barnet but was at Mansfield with me for a while. He is a nippy striker and used to be at Arsenal when he was younger and also played for Wales U-21.

Jon was my best mate at Mansfield. We shared a house together and he is also a central midfielder. He’s currently coming back from injury as well.

Hows the injury going? What do you think of your new teammates so far? from Chris

Hi Chris, nice to get a question from a cobblers fan! Hopefully the worst of my injury is over. I went to see a specialist a few weeks ago as I was still suffering from a bit of knee pain. It seems that some of the scar tissue from the initial operation got stuck and was giving me discomfort. The specialist had a look around and hopefully there shouldn’t be any further problems. I’m hoping to be challenging for a first team place in two months.

Regarding my teammates, they’re all great lads. What I really like is that there are no individual groups in the dressing room. We are all one big group which is the way it should be, and everyone gets on with everyone else.

Thanks for your questions! Keep them coming, and see you in two weeks!

Relations between Chelsea and midfielder Michael Ballack reached a new low yesterday after the Stamford Bridge club delayed permission for the German international to take part in a publicity shoot with Adidas.

Footy Boots reported yesterday that the DFB (German Football Federation) had tried unsuccessfully to contact Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon, to seek permission for Adidas Predator Absolute football boot wearer Michael Ballack to feature in a Euro 2008 promotional campaign with German team sponsors Adidas.

Chelsea’s lack of an adequately timed response has led Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff to suggest that they are trying to provoke a conflict. Bierhoff went on to say: “That’s not how you treat a German international, especially the captain of the team. It’s not correct they treat us and their partner Adidas in this way. It seems the club has other methods. Coach Joachim Low and I want a meeting with Jose Mourinho to find out what’s going on.”

Meanwhile Ballack has been linked with a move to Real Madrid when the transfer window reopens in January.

The Michael Ballack saga shows no sign of abating with the German International’s football boot sponsor Adidas now seemingly getting the silent treatment from Chelsea.

The Chelsea midfielder is understood to be annoyed with the Stamford Bridge club for failing to inform him whether he could miss training to film a Euro 2008 ad campaign with both his and Chelsea’s sponsors Adidas.

Adidas Predator Absolute wearer Ballack is already hugely disappointed at Chelsea’s decision to omit him from their Champions League squad due to doubts over his recovery from an ankle injury. In an attempt to speed up his recovery, the midfielder visited Adidas’s technology centre in Nüremberg to see if a football boot could be developed to relieve the pain in his left ankle that remains after two operations.

The Adidas Euro 2008 TV commercial features Ballack, alongside fellow Adidas football boot wearers Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bernd Schneider, and Kevin Kuranyi (Adidas +F50 Tunit). Though, the date for the shooting of the commercial was set over a month ago, approval needs to be sought from each players’ club for insurance purposes.

Adidas and the DFB (German Football Association) were still struggling to reach senior figures at Chelsea yesterday evening, including Chief Executive, Peter Kenyon, who was apparently sunning himself in Cyprus.

In 2006, Chelsea signed an eight year kit sponsorship deal with football boot brand Adidas, worth a supposed £100 million pounds.

Footy Boots thinks that with this kind of money changing hands, Adidas and Chelsea would have a closer working relationship.