Gamers need wait no longer to get stuck into Fifa 17, with the chance to sample the action a full week ahead of its official release date.

The hotly-awaited football game is due to hit shelves in the UK next Thursday (September 29) but you can get some early practice in now.

All you have to do is register as an EA Access member , and you will be able to play for a full 10 hours, though unfortunately this is not available on PS4.

Ten hours' playing time equates to around 100 matches - plenty of time for players to check out the latest perks and add-ons.

Everything you unlock during that time will carry over to the full release should you purchase the game.

And as soon as you have downloaded or bought a copy of the game, following the official launch, you can begin playing straight away - avoiding the long installation process.

Membership costs £3.99 and, as well as providing access to Fifa 17, enables you to sample other games like Forza Horizon 3.

There are other perks to joining up, too, including a 10% discount if you purchase the game from the XBox Live online stores.

EA Games is remaining tight-lipped about what time the game will officially launch in both the UK and the US, where the launch date is two days earlier on September 27