Football is often known as the ‘beautiful game’ but it can be a cruel one too. That often manifests in ways most of us know all too well - those last-minute goals, those controversial decisions, how the bounce of a ball can be the difference between elation and devastation.

Those feelings mean something, which is why football captivates us. But for all that our moods may be dictated too heavily by the fortunes of the team we love, we always have an escape. It is just a game, after all, even if it often feels like more.

It is more than a game for those whose livelihoods depend on it. And while footballers, managers and others at the top end of the industry are lavishly paid for their exploits, their privilege comes with immense pressure, the toll of which we rarely see.

It is hard to know what truly goes on behind the walls of dressing...