This article, for those who can access The Athletic behind their paywall, may be of interest as it examines a very human aspect of the Academy process that we often discuss: young players who are released – or ‘de-selected’ in the modern idiom.
A 2022 Premier League study revealed that 97% of players at top academies never play a minute of top-flight football. Another showed more than 10,000 players aged between eight and 18 are released from academy football every year.
The Premier League Preparation Programme, is an annual camp at Loughborough University to assist players aged 16-21 who have been released by their clubs’ academies.
The camp is open to any player between the ages of 16 and 21 who has been ‘de-selected’ and not signed a professional contract. They stay for a week, making use of the university’s student accommodation, which means they properly get the chance to bond. During their time at the camp, they have a schedule of breakfast, training during the day, and then workshops and seminars right through the week.