I make £50,000 a year playing FIFA on my PlayStation without leaving my bedroom – this is how I landed my dream job

A MAN says he makes £50,000 a year playing FIFA on his PlayStation – and he doesn’t even leave his bedroom.

Alex Shaw, 24, first became addicted to the hit EA Sports football game when he bought FIFA 12 for his PlayStation 2 at the age of 13.

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After playing the video game for hours and beating up his friends after school, he began challenging professional gamers online.

And when he started beating the pros on the virtual pitch, Alex was invited to play in an online soccer tournament in 2018.

The die-hard Liverpool fan became an Official FIFA eSports Player this season and has earned a staggering £150,000 playing online football over the past five years.

Alex has traveled the world taking on the best players in the world, across the US and Europe, representing Leicester City, Fulham and Watford.

Alex spends up to eight hours every day playing FIFA on his PlayStation 5 in his bedroom on his £5,000 monitor and controller.

He’s one of around 40 players in the UK to play FIFA professionally and believes he fulfills every little boy’s imagination.

Alex, from Quarndon, Derbyshire, said: “I think if my 13 or 14 year old self could see what I’m doing now and what I’ve achieved they would be amazed.

“It’s definitely something I’ll look back on when I’m older and be proud of, and young lads are definitely jealous of what I do for a living.

“When I first bought FIFA and played with my friends I wasn’t very good at all, but over the years and hours of training I got better and better and started beating pro players.

“I’ve played against some of the best players in the world and this is where you really learn how to get better at the game.

“Unfortunately I didn’t place in my first tournament in the 2018/19 season, but since then I’ve competed in many other competitions and done pretty well and won some good prize money.

It’s definitely something I’ll look back on when I’m older and be proud of, and young lads are definitely jealous of what I do for a living.

Alex Shaw

“Plus, my job, which I love, has allowed me to travel the world.

“I love my job, but when you play eight hours straight, you have to take a break.

“Even if it’s only five or 10 minutes away from the screen, it helps. If you don’t, you become a robot and your rhythm while playing is not that good.

“Even though I play for hours every day, I still have a good social life outside of the game and see my friends often.

“My career is also very social as I’m always talking and playing with people online.”

FULL TIME JOB PLAYING FIFA

Alex, who now plays FIFA full-time, has qualified for the ePremiere League four times out of five.

He has traveled to Atlanta, Hamburg, Milan, Canada and Bucharest to compete in tournaments lasting up to three days and bagged £15,000 in prize money.

In 2019, Alex finished 8th in the world at the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) Champions Cup Three in Bucharest.

The following year he finished fourth in the ePremiere League, representing Leicester City.

Alex also represented esports team Hashtag United for the first four years of his career and now plays for Horizon Union, which he signed for last September.

Alex always chooses the FIFA Ultimate Team mode in tournaments because it allows him to add the best players to his team.

When he’s not traveling, Alex participates in online tournaments from his bedroom, playing one-on-ones against other pros, which can last up to two days.

PARENTS SUPPORTIVE

He says his parents have been very supportive of his FIFA career since the beginning and he hopes to continue in his profession and eventually be an esports host.

Alex, who lives with his mother Sarah, 57, added: “My parents have always been very supportive of my career, even when I was not earning anything.

“I think at first they were a bit incredulous when they found out I was going to be a professional FIFA player.

“But I think once I started flying around the globe and being put up in fancy hotels for free on paid flights, they definitely got on board.

“My dream goal is to win a tournament, but that’s a very big goal because some of the players are great and unbeaten.

“But I’m proud of where I’ve gotten to so far and who knows how good I can be in the future with more practice.

“I would like to continue my career for five or ten years and then I would like to host the tournaments.

“I like being in front of the camera and I enjoy watching and participating in the competitions.”

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