Following the lives of some of football's 'forgotten players'

In a summer during which Premier League clubs have spent a record-breaking £2.4bn on signings, it is easy to forget that lower down the pyramid, that is far from reality.

For clubs outside the top flight, a high percentage of players are signed for no transfer fee, and often not directly from another club.

Instead, they are signed as free agents. In many cases, players have spent time as trialists with clubs in order to win a contract.

In effect, it's an audition for employment.

"Being out of clubs is an uncertain time for people who have got families," said former Newcastle and Wales left-back Paul Dummett.

For higher-profile players, periods on trial can be much shorter - but some free agents can spend months or years without a club.

"I don't think many people can go months without getting an income, particularly for themselves or their family," said former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Isaac Christie-Davies.

BBC Sport has spent the summer following the lives of some of football's 'forgotten players' as they fight to earn a contract.

What is a trialist?

A trialist is an out-of-contract player training with, or playing for, a club while not actually signed for them.

They can play in friendlies for the club they are on trial with, but cannot play official matches.

In most cases their identities will be kept a secret by the club on teamsheets and match reports, commonly during pre-season friendlies.

In June, Scottish League Two side Dumbarton fielded entire squads of trialists against Stenhousemuir and Stirling Albion.

Christie-Davies spent more than a year searching for a new club, including an unsuccessful trial with a League One club.

"I felt good and I was fit but there was some decisions which were maybe not even up to the manager, so that's just how it is," said the 27-year-old.

"When you go on trial, it's not always as easy as they want you and they can sign you.

"There's other factors going into it, so I think I was quite unlucky not to sign when I went."

The challenges for free agents

Football is often a lucrative industry, particularly in the best leagues around the world, but down the football pyramid the financial rewards are much lower.

No contract means no regular source of income for players in the same way anyone without a job would not get a regular pay cheque from an employer.

The longer the time without employment, the bigger the financial burden, particularly for those with partners, children and family.

On the pitch, those challenges involve not being at the same level of fitness as players who start pre-season at clubs.

After leaving Newcastle at the end of the 2023-24 season, Dummett was without a club until November. He joined Wigan on a short-term contract but - just five appearances and two months later - he was on the move to Carlisle United.

Dummett did spend part of last season training with Newcastle's Under-21s before joining Wigan, but felt unprepared as a result of a first summer as a professional without a club.

"I didn't have a full pre-season playing games, so when I went to Wigan, I wasn't match fit," Dummett explained.

"Then I didn't really get an opportunity to get fit or get the minutes in. In the end, I didn't play much."

Dummett ended up dropping down a division to join Carlisle, but a problematic season only got worse.

"I ended up crashing my car the first week I was there, then pulling my hamstring in the first game," added Dummett.

"It was a very disastrous 12 months for me after leaving Newcastle."

How the PFA has helped free agents

Traditionally, it has been up to players to arrange their own training schedules, should they become free agents and not swiftly be signed by another team.

Arranging trials would be up to players and agents. Some players would train with others in small groups in order to help each other stay fit and bolster their hopes of winning a contract.

Since the summer of 2024, the Professional Footballers' Association has run specialist camps for players without clubs.

The aim is to help get players fit and select moves they feel are right for them through a professional support network.

In its first run last year, about 120 players attended the camp, with about 90% going on to join new clubs.

This year, the attendance figures are close to reaching the same levels - and 44 players have already joined new clubs.

"I signed up straight away," said former Chelsea, Reading and West Brom midfielder John Swift, who left the Baggies at the end of last season.

"If you're between almost choosing clubs or talking to clubs, there's no point being sat at home and going to the gym on your own."

Swift attended the first two weeks of the camp before signing a contract with hometown club Portsmouth.

The PFA's out-of-contract camp also play in friendly matches against other teams, with nine games so far against the likes of Everton Under-21s, Leyton Orient and Newport County.

Dummett and Christie-Davies joined the camp this year after not doing so in 2024, with both taking round trips upwards of 350 miles to attend each week.

For Dummett, it was seeing former Newcastle team-mate Dwight Gayle attend and win a contract at Hibernian that inspired him to sign up.

"I know Dwight really well and I was speaking to him when he was here last year," said Dummett.

"He got a good move on the back of this camp. Hopefully I can do the same."

Other players to have attended this year's camp and win contracts at new clubs include goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Angus Gunn, while Morecambe signed five players from the PFA camp this summer.

The wait for a contract goes on

Christie-Davies remains a free agent, but is optimistic the right move will come.

"It's been difficult to not have anything sorted yet, but I actually feel all right," he said.

"I have that self-belief and I believe that I know the right time, the right opportunity, will come for me.

"I know that what will come for me will be the right thing. I've just got to be patient and see exactly what that is."

Dummett, too, is yet to get a new club having been a regular attendee at camp during the opening weeks of the season.

"At the moment I'm trying to carry on training as long as I can there," said the ex-Newcastle defender.

"If something that comes up that excites me and makes me want to go then, I'll look into it.

"There hasn't been anything right for me yet."

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