I've always loved football and now I tell players what to eat and drink

Football is a high-energy and physically demanding sport, and nutrition has an important role in ensuring players perform at their best. It means clubs need people who can advise footballers on what they should eat and drink.

That's Elena! She works as a first-team nutritionist at Brentford FC and her role is all about making footballers the healthiest they can be – giving them the energy they need for training and games and helping them to recover ready for the next match.

I knew 100% I wanted to work in football, it's been my life since I was a kid.

• A massive football fan all her life, she used to go to Tottenham Hotspur games with her dad and played the sport herself
• Loved science at school and went to Loughborough University to study for a degree in Human Biology
• University placement working at Nottingham Forest FC Academy
• Applied for a master's degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition
• Got first paid role as a nutritionist at Watford FC's Academy
• Moved to Brentford FC (Premier League) as first-team nutritionist.

There are all sorts of ways to progress in nutrition roles.

Elena is first-team nutritionist at Brentford FC. Her career has followed this path:

University placement --> Academy nutritionist --> First-team nutritionist

Elena outlines several different ways to progress from a first-team nutritionist role. For example, you could become a club nutritionist and oversee the nutrition programme across the whole club. Other nutritionists move into research and lecturing or go freelance, working with private clients as a nutritional consultant. Away from sports nutrition, you could manage nutritional health programmes or specialise in areas like public health.

• Get as much work experience as you can: Work placements will boost your knowledge about nutrition and help you decide what you want from your career
• Make connections: Get to know people within the industry. The more connections you make, the more doors could open for you
• Work well with others: Elena says it's important to be approachable to build up trust with players, make them feel comfortable with you and ensure they take your advice on nutrition.

In Elena's experience, a sports nutritionist working in football might start at a salary of around £28,000 a year. As they develop within the industry, she says there is potential for salaries to reach around £60,000 to £100,000.

Nutritionists can also work in other areas as well as sport. Find out more about the role of a nutritionist below.

What to expect if you want to be a nutritionist

• Nutritionist average salary: from £32,000 to £48,000 per year.
• Nutritionist typical working hours: 37 to 40 hours per week.

What qualifications do you need to be a nutritionist?

You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification approved by the Association for Nutrition to get this role. Approved courses include Food and Nutrition, Biochemistry, Physiology, Public Health and Health Promotion. You'll usually need 2 or 3 A-levels, or equivalent, including Biology or Chemistry, followed by a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study.

This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.

For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).

Bitesize Careers, in partnership with The Open University, has launched the Follow Your Passion campaign, exploring how you can draw on your passions and interests to find your future jobs, with the focus on football.

From content creation to computer game design, nutrition to number-crunching, check out the Bitesize Careers Follow Your Passion collection for loads of inspiring careers content.