Still unsure on whether to pick up this year’s Football Manager game? Well you’re in luck as developers Sports Interactive and publishers Sega have made it easier for you to decide, and way harder to resists.

Akin to an in-game player trial before signing them for real, this year’s Football Manager 2021 free demo is now available for download. This comes swiftly alongside its official launch which is today – or tomorrow depending on your timezone. While you will be restricted to half a season for this demo – which we suspect ends sometime around your save’s first transfer window which is normally set in December – you will be able to carry forward your save to the full version, assuming you decide to purchase it. You can download the demo by clicking on this link.

If the link does not work, simply search for Football Manager 2021 in your Steam client. A link for the demo version should be available.

The beta version for this yearly installment football managing sim is already playable to those who pre-ordered it, bringing a host of new improvements – or shall we say, more depth to an already mind-boggling complex sports management title. Managers will now be able to better convey their thoughts through a range of new gestures during press conferences, player interactions and interviews.  The game engine has also been updated, running significantly faster and better compared to last year’s edition.

A Football Manager fanatic myself, I’ve been successfully managing Liverpool (who else) since FM21 beta was made available and I cannot recommend signing Erling Haaland enough. That 70m required is a bargain.