Over the past couple of months, I've travelled a lot. I have visited some of the top academies around Europe to learn more about how they develop their players. I've presented at conferences and met with owners, sporting directors, and heads of recruitment to get their take on academy football. I've sat with people from FIFA, UEFA, and the Premier League, and we've discussed the philosophies that underpin academy football.
Do we medicate the fish or clean the tank?
I hear a lot of discussion about culture in clubs - clubs love to find "culture carriers" for their teams, but how often do they reflect on the environments that have given rise to certain cultures?
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Don't panic if your child is not in an academy - do this
There is as much chance of the worst player at that under-7s tournament becoming a professional player when they turn 18 as the best player on the day.
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This edge is not developed in academies. In fact, in my research, I found more cases where that edge is coached out of people because it causes a problem.