Dewsbury-Hall, Awoniyi and Cook graduate from PFA Business School as players prepare for sporting director roles

Premier League footballers celebrate PFA Business School graduation at Emirates Stadium

The scene at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium resembled an Oxbridge graduation ceremony, with caps and gowns worn by Premier League footballers and former players who have won major honours in Europe and around the world.

The 2026 cohort of graduates from the PFA Business School includes Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi and a host of well-known figures. The course is designed to run alongside a playing career, with seminars scheduled to minimise clashes with matches and training sessions.

Dewsbury-Hall studies through best form of his career

Dewsbury-Hall, 28, travelled by train from Merseyside to London to attend the ceremony and says he completed the postgraduate diploma in global football sport directorship while in the best form of his career.

"I hope I've got a long time left in football. But as a person, I'm always trying to learn and develop away from the pitch. I don't want to stop playing and then just sit around doing nothing," the former Leicester City and Chelsea player tells BBC Sport.

"This was something that genuinely interested me. Whether I use it in the future, we'll see, but it's always good to do it now rather than wait until you've finished playing. If the time ever comes when an opportunity presents itself, luckily I've got something that can help me."

Dewsbury-Hall said he has had some "weird looks" while studying on an iPad during journeys home from away games.

Awoniyi keeps promise to his father

Awoniyi, 29, joined Coventry from Nottingham Forest during the summer and remains part of Nigeria’s squad as they attempt to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The striker has also continued his studies throughout his playing career. "I've got a degree in business management and another diploma, so this is my third qualification," he says.

Awoniyi’s father, Solomon, has previously spoken about his strict approach to education. At times it almost prevented his son from pursuing a career in football, but Awoniyi progressed from the Imperial Soccer Academy to Liverpool before making his name in German football with Union Berlin.

"I say to people I am a quiet dreamer," says Awoniyi, who was born in Ilorin, Nigeria. "I always felt education was important. It was a promise I made to my dad that if I played football, I would keep studying. That's what I have done and I am proud of it."

Awoniyi points to the "ups and downs" he has experienced as a footballer, referencing the serious injury he suffered in May 2025 when he was placed in a medically induced coma after rupturing an intestine in a collision with a goalpost when playing for Nottingham Forest against Leicester City.

"It's not like a 9-5 job in football. We go in and sometimes finish quite early and, although it's challenging, I think every footballer has time in the evening for something like this business school," he says. "Of course, it demands a lot from you and it's all about how willing you are to do it. I say to people there are a lot of things that are bigger than football. Yes, football is our passion, but we are normal human beings as well and maybe that's something the world doesn't always see."

Azpilicueta on studying before Champions League final

In the event at the Emirates, Cesar Azpilicueta told the group how studying on the morning of the 2021 Champions League final helped take his mind off the occasion before he captained Chelsea to a 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto.

"Normally I'd have a nap after lunch if the game was later in the day, but that day it was impossible. You could hear the fans and you knew a big game was coming up. Having my studies also helped me focus and improve myself away from football," he explains.

The former Spain defender, who retired from playing at the end of last season after ending his playing days with Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, said: "It's not only about preparing for life after football. It's about becoming a better version of yourself in your football career as well."

Azpilicueta built a career after turning professional with hometown club Osasuna at the age of 17. He had continued studying until that point and, after abandoning his degree when he became a professional footballer, he later completed an MBA during his nine-year spell at Chelsea.

Stereotypes and next steps

Dewsbury-Hall sought out former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, now working in Qatari football, to discuss the art of scoring goals at the ceremony.

"Obviously there are stereotypes around footballers," Dewsbury-Hall says. "But in every industry there are smart people and there are people who aren't so smart. You'd be surprised how many intelligent people there are in football. Maybe some players just don't want to do things like this, but they easily could. It's just not their passion."

For Wycombe Wanderers defender Steve Cook, who captained Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier in his career, the course marked a return to formal education for the first time since his school days. Having already obtained coaching badges, he knows he is approaching the end of his playing career.

The PFA course includes sessions from prominent figures, such as Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, designed to help students understand how different areas of the football industry operate. For now, many remain focused on playing football, but among this year's graduates might be future coaches, executives and sporting directors who go on to influence the game in different ways.