A Multidisciplinary Model of Talent Identification and Development
in Football
Thomas Reilly, United Kingdom |
|
Abstract
Talent identification and its optimal development are important issues
in contemporary professional football: the rewards of a successful process
are large, the consequences of failure may be gloomy. Analyses of match
demands provide a framework for setting out physical and physiological
requirements for playing football at a high level. Such a template is
only partially helpful in view of the multivariate demands, variation
between playing position and style of play adopted. The major physical
characteristics include aerobic and anaerobic capabilities, muscular
strength and muscle endurance, agility and flexibility. Without a good
sense of tactical know-how, these characteristics on their own become
useless.
Practice-based models of talent identification lack the precision and
validity for use in scientific research programmes. Nevertheless a process
incorporating detection, identification, selection, development and
perfection can help structure a quasi-scientific approach. There are
indications of a strong genetic component in performance of football
but systematic training and development programmes can strongly influence
the determination of talent.
Elite young players may be distinguished from sub-elite on the basis
of a comprehensive battery of test items. Nevertheless, such batteries
may be more useful in talent discrimination than in talent identification.
At high levels of performance such test items fail to separate the more
successful players due to the homogenosity of playing abilities. A more
holistic approach that employs subjective ratings of coaches can help
complement quantitative analyses of player characteristics.
1. Introduction
The focus in this review is on some developments in the U.K. The first
formal attempt to promote talent in football was setting up the National
School of Excellence in the 1980s. About a decade later the FA’s
Charter for Youth was instrumental in setting up the Football Academies
within the professional clubs.
I should first distinguish between some of the terms
used in promoting talent (Williams and Reilly, 2000). Detection refers
to bringing newcomers into the sport from outside, identification refers
to recognising current players with the potential to become elite. Development
refers to guidance and development, and selection is the inclusion in
a given squad for specialised training (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. The identification-development process.
These notions suppose that we have markers of talent characteristics.
These might be:-
- Morphological – such as size and physique
- Physiological – anaerobic and aerobic
- Motor – co-ordination and skills
- Psychological – attitude and motivation.
These characteristics on their own are not enough since the development
of games skills demands a major commitment. Academy recruits in U.K.
at 16 will already have 10 years’ football experience (see Table
1).
Table 1. Football Academy recruits in England at age 16. Source: Ward,
Hodges, Williams & Starkes, 2003
- Started playing at 6
- Average 10 h/week for 10 years
- 700 hours per year
- 7000 hours in total
- 10,000 hours before 1st team debut
So how can a scouting mind-set be established? One approach is that
used by Ajax Amsterdam typified by the acronym TIPS – technique,
intelligence, personality and speed.
2. Scientific approach
A more objective approach is to measure individual characteristics –
using physical, physiological, and field or performance tests. The degree
to which these are determined by genetics is quantified in a heritability
coefficient – highest for height and leg length but lower for
co-ordination tasks (Figure 2).
Physical Characteristics |
% |
Height |
85 ± 7 |
Leg length |
80 ± 10 |
Height/Weight |
53 ± 19 |
Skinfolds |
55 ± 26 |
Ectomorphy |
35-50 |
Mesomorphy |
42 |
Endomorphy |
50 |
|
|
Physiological Factors |
|
VO2 max |
30-93 |
Muscle fibre type 55-92 |
55-92 |
Anaerobic power |
44-97 |
Muscle endurance |
22-80 |
|
|
Field and Performance Tests |
|
Sprinting |
45-92 |
Jumping |
33-86 |
Flexibility |
66-91 |
Balance 24-86 |
24-86 |
Figure 2. Heritability for various characteristics expressed as percent
values.
Coaches would often wish to know basic information like how tall is
this young player going to become. Adult stature can be predicted from
current and mean parental stature but there is still an error in the
calculation.
There are also issues around the maturation of the player and relative
age. In the FA’s School of Excellence, the majority of those selected
were born at the start of the competitive year. Similarly in Sweden
(Brewer et al., 1995), there is the same trend that those with a relative
age advantage benefited by being selected (Figure 3).
FA School of Excellence birth dates
Swedish male Under-17 squad birth dates
Figure
3. There is a bias towards selecting players early in the competitive
year in U.K. (top) and in Sweden (bottom).
In our game analysis, we examined the data available for the players
aged 14-16 in the National School of Excellence. The data were patchy
in that we had aerobic power as well as anthropometry for most participants
but not anaerobic power data. None of the measures could discriminate
between those who became successful professionals and those who did
not.
More success was attained in discriminating Academy players from sub-elite
(Table 2). On this comparison, the elite players were superior in all
running tasks, speed endurance, power and agility.

3. An ergonomics model
Within this multivariate battery skills tests can be incorporated. These
include:
a. wall-volley test;
b. shooting test (with each foot);
c. slalom dribble;
d. straight dribble.
When we use these items, the best discriminator is a slalom dribble
test. In contrast, shooting was not significantly different between
groups (Reilly et al., 2000).
So how does the development process fit into an ergonomics model? At
all stages, individuals must have the fitness and readiness to meet
the demands of the game (see Stratton et al., 2004). Fitness profiles
in turn have implications for selection and for training.
The appropriate training load alters at different ages. A scheme for
emphasising load features was proposed by Kohno et al. in the Third
World Conference on Science and Football. At 12-13 years of age, the
emphasis is on technique, later emphasis can be switched to muscle power
and then endurance (Table 3).
Table 3. Age for discrete training emphasis.
Age |
Emphasis |
12-13 |
Technique(avoiding overloading joints) |
14+ |
Muscle power(with appropriate loads) |
16 |
Endurance training |
4. The football world
At Liverpool there are two players in each of the clubs who have come
through the Academies: Michael Owen at Liverpool and Wayne Rooney at
Everton. Whilst their successes highlight the roles of an Academy, the
majority of young players do not make it to a successful professional
careers. What we have done is to derive performance curves for different
measures and refer them to age. The Academy players can then be compared
against this database.
One of the questions for young players posed by the FA was the importance
of mini-games or small-sided games. The growth of small-team games within
a 3-year time-span is impressive. The question was whether 3 vs 3 was
better or worse than 5 vs 5.
From a work-rate viewpoint, the 3 vs 3 had less low-intensity exercise
and more high-intensity exercise than 5-a-side. This difference was
reflected also in the different movement categories – less walking
and jogging, more cruising and sprinting (Platt et al., 2001).
The higher the heart rate, the greater the training stimulus. In 3
vs 3, heart rate was higher all through the session compared to 5 vs
5. Not only was the training stimulus higher, but also there was more
engagement with the ball in 3 vs 3, reflected in more tackles, shots
and passes, with increased opportunity therefore for improving game
skills.
At a later age we were concerned with endurance training and to what
extent concentrating on exercise with the ball could match traditional
interval training. Here the work was with Academy players from Bolton
F.C. The 40-minute session was conducted 2 times/week for six weeks.
The heart rate response during game play matched that of classical interval
training with active recovery (Reilly and White, 2005).
So why did a talent like Wayne Rooney join Everton? Even sport science
staff recognised he was a special talent. His Academy Director has indicated
a host of local factors (Hall, 2003):- born near the ground, parental
influences, a club fan, and so on. There were social and psychological
factors that linked him with the local club which he loved. These, together
with so-called significant others, are very powerful influences in the
choices made by young boys.
5. Overview
There is no parsimonious formula for talent identification. Sports science
has a role in contributing towards talent development, alongside input
from experts in practice. Coaching expertise is paramount in harnessing
endowed characteristics and realising potential. Even so the gifted
individual is subject to a host of influences that determine progress.
Besides, there are requirements to tolerate high training loads, sustained
practice and remain injury free. Circumstances may dictate the quality
of coaching available, the selection onto representative teams and eventually
judgements about professional contracts.
References
Brewer, J., Balsom, P. and Davis, J. (1995). Seasonal
birth distribution amongst European soccer players. Sports Exerc. Injury,
1, 154-157.
Hall, R. (2003). Things will never be the same.
Insight: the FA Coaches Ass. J., 6(2), 53-55.
Platt, D., Maxwell, A., Horn, R., Williams, M. and Reilly, T. (2001).
Physiological and technical analysis of 3 v 3 and 5 v 5 youth football
matches. Insight: the FA Coaches Ass. J., 4(4), 23-24.
Reilly, T. and White, C. (2005). Small-sided games as an alternative
to interval training for soccer players. In: Science and Football V
(edited by T. Reilly, J. Cabri and D. Araújo) pp. 344-347. London:
Routledge.
Reilly, T., Williams, A.M., Nevill, A. and Franks, A. (2000). A multidisciplinary
approach to talent identification in soccer. J. Sports Sci., 18, 697-702.
Stratton, G., Reilly, T., Williams, A.M. and Richardson, D. (2004).
Youth Soccer: From Science to Performance. London: Routledge.
Williams, A.M. and Reilly, T. (2000). Talent identification and development
in soccer. J. Sports Sci., 18, 657-667.Thomas Reilly
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences
Liverpool John Moores University
Henry Cotton Campus
15-21 Webster Street
Liverpool, L3 2ET
United Kingdom

http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-january2005.htm
A Multidisciplinary Model of Talent Identification and Development
in Football
Thomas Reilly, United Kingdom
|