FM 25 Journeyman Career: What It Is and How to Play

What Is the FM 25 Journeyman Career? How Do You Play It?

Anyone hooked on Football Manager games has probably played it at least once — and it's arguably one of the most beloved modes: the Journeyman career. With the upcoming FM 25, what is the FM 25 Journeyman career, and how do you play it? has once again become one of the most-asked questions. In this article, we'll try to walk you through the FM 25 Journeyman career and its rules in detail.

What Are the Rules of the FM 25 Journeyman Career?

Before we get into what the FM 25 Journeyman career is and how to play it, let's go over the Journeyman rules a bit:

1- Start the game unemployed: Starting the game unemployed is rule number one of the Journeyman career. After starting unemployed, you wait for offers from clubs without a manager. This way, you end up joining a club you've never heard of and discovering new players and new leagues you didn't know. You'll get the most out of this rule by adding as many leagues as possible.

2- Pick the lowest license and playing badge when creating your profile: Starting your managerial career from scratch is the second most important rule. In other words, just like in real life, you reflect zero coaching license and zero playing experience into the game, which increases realism. If you want to prove yourself, you should absolutely apply this rule, but the key thing to watch out for is requesting a coaching license course during contract talks at every club you join.

3- Mask Player Attributes: Another way to increase the game's realism is by hiding player attributes. With this setting, you have to think harder and scrutinize more carefully when picking players.

4- Don't Use Save-Scumming: Not saving and reloading to cheat is another important rule for increasing the game's realism.

5- Don't Switch Clubs Too Much: Try to spend at most 2-3 seasons at any club you join. This rule forms the very foundation of the Journeyman rules.

Read our FM 25 Player Roles Guide article to learn more about player roles!

What Is the Journeyman Career? How Do You Play It?

All the rules for the FM 25 Journeyman mode are as listed above. You can set yourself goals to make the game more realistic while also boosting your enjoyment. But if you don't apply these core Journeyman rules, calling that career a Journeyman career won't really work. Don't be afraid to start in the lower leagues, because even if you fail, getting promoted to a higher league is quite easy, especially in games like FM. Don't be afraid of getting sacked, because a nomadic career is already one of the core premises of the Journeyman career. Read the league you're heading to and its rules carefully, and make your team choices accordingly. If you sign with a club you'll regret later, your enjoyment and mood in the game will drop. On top of that, don't say yes to the first offer that comes in — wait a few weeks or months. Don't be afraid to apply to every club, and push for the best terms you can get for yourself. Try especially to filter out clubs that turn down your license-course requests, because a coaching license will contribute quite a lot to your coaching development. If you mask player attributes, you'll boost the game's realism, and your research time before signing a player will increase. After all, in games like Football Manager, one of the things that delights us most is transfer windows. A player you'd never heard of turning into a great signing will make you at least twice as happy. If you apply all these rules and chart your own course, we think you'll end up hooked on the Journeyman career. We wish you good games already :)

What's New in FM 25?

What Is the FM 25 Release Date?

The game's release date hasn't been made official yet, but estimates point to November 11, 2024. You can find detailed information about the release date in our article.

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