4th January 2022
By Adam Holt
“0.008% of academy players in England make it to play in the Premier League. It's important that we, especially when we work with the youngest players, remember that.” This is according to Jonas Munkvold, an academy coach with Nottingham Forest. This is an alarming statistic, so I have spoken to several coaches at various clubs across the country to give their views on the issue and answer the question of how difficult is it for young footballers these days?
Munkvold has given his perspective on the biggest challenge facing these young players, he said: “I think we have a really good environment here, so that will make him feel really welcome into an environment that enjoy being part of. I think that helps that transition helps make the transition easier.”
Matthew Layton, who is vastly experienced as a coach in professional football academies was part of the West Bromwich Albion Academy for over a decade, has given his insight into the experiences young players have whilst at professional academies – including some of the biggest problems these players face.
He said: “Socially it is challenging for a adolescences to come into a new environment amongst a new set of peers and adults. They are being immediately assessed which is psychologically challenging.
“They are often not used to the academy coaching environment and the teaching / methods applied in academies. Sometimes this is mis interpreted as the player not understanding however rather than the player never having experiences these methods before."
Sam Hanley, a young footballer who has been in multiple academies so far in his career with one such club being Rotherham United, with whom he stayed with for a significant portion of his young career. He subsequently joined a club in Poland before seeking pastures new a few months later.
Hanley has given his views and experiences of a football academy, he said: “In my experience the biggest challenge is coaches and their opinion of you can change massively from coach to coach within the same academy set up.
“The biggest challenge is making sure your face fits within that academy and making sure that you feel right and comfortable with the coach you have because if not then it's not going to be an enjoyable experience for you at academy level.”
The ex-Rotherham player also gave his views on why it is so difficult for young players to make it to the highest level, he said: “The main reason is simply the competition nowadays unlike generations before like the 80s and 90s, in today’s game you are up against the whole world even from a young age to make it whereas before you were more just up against English or British players.”
Munkvold has given his perspective on the biggest challenge facing these young players, he said: “I think we have a really good environment here, so that will make him feel really welcome into an environment that enjoy being part of. I think that helps that transition helps make the transition easier.”
Matthew Layton, who is vastly experienced as a coach in professional football academies was part of the West Bromwich Albion Academy for over a decade, has given his insight into the experiences young players have whilst at professional academies – including some of the biggest problems these players face.
He said: “Socially it is challenging for a adolescences to come into a new environment amongst a new set of peers and adults. They are being immediately assessed which is psychologically challenging.
“They are often not used to the academy coaching environment and the teaching / methods applied in academies. Sometimes this is mis interpreted as the player not understanding however rather than the player never having experiences these methods before."
Sam Hanley, a young footballer who has been in multiple academies so far in his career with one such club being Rotherham United, with whom he stayed with for a significant portion of his young career. He subsequently joined a club in Poland before seeking pastures new a few months later.
Hanley has given his views and experiences of a football academy, he said: “In my experience the biggest challenge is coaches and their opinion of you can change massively from coach to coach within the same academy set up.
“The biggest challenge is making sure your face fits within that academy and making sure that you feel right and comfortable with the coach you have because if not then it's not going to be an enjoyable experience for you at academy level.”
The ex-Rotherham player also gave his views on why it is so difficult for young players to make it to the highest level, he said: “The main reason is simply the competition nowadays unlike generations before like the 80s and 90s, in today’s game you are up against the whole world even from a young age to make it whereas before you were more just up against English or British players.”