Bridging the Gap: What Youth Players Must Do to Reach Professional Academy Standards
- Ian McClurg - MSc Performance Coaching
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
We receive many requests to help young players pursue training and formal trials at professional clubs in the UK and Europe. However, we can only assist the players that are fully committed to improving their individual performance levels daily on our online training platform.
Many young soccer players dream of signing a professional contract and playing in top-level leagues across the UK and Europe. But what most don’t realize is just how wide the gap is between their current performance levels and those of academy players already embedded in professional club systems.
If you are not training daily in a professional academy, you're behind — and closing that gap takes serious, strategic effort.
The Truth About the Performance Gap
At Ian McClurg Play Pro , we work with aspiring players in North America and the UK and have seen firsthand the disparity between local youth players and their EPL academy peers. EPL academy players follow intensive programs, averaging 12–16+ hours of high-intensity training per week. They’re constantly monitored, technically refined, tactically educated, and physically tested — and that’s just the baseline.
To compete with them, you need to do the same — and more.
Why Technical Speed Matters Most
To succeed at academy trials, simply having decent technique isn't enough. The speed at which you can execute a first touch, change of direction, play a clean pass, or beat an opponent in a 1v1 duel must be lightning-fast. Professional academies value clean and consistent execution under pressure, and this can only be developed through tailored technical repetition.
That’s why we recommend following a structured Technical Training Program based on your age group and position. A right-back’s needs are different from a centre forward’s. Targeted training that builds core skills through high-quality repetitions will get your touch sharp and decision-making automatic — just like the pros.
The Role of Physical Conditioning
Academy soccer in Europe is fast, intense, and physically demanding. Every player, regardless of position, must meet elite standards in speed, stamina, agility, and strength. Without these physical attributes, technical and tactical ability won’t matter. You simply won't keep up.
Our online Physical Training systems give you access to workouts designed to mimic the physical demands faced in pro academies — helping you build the engine needed to perform at peak levels every single match. It’s not about bulking up; it’s about becoming faster, more agile, more powerful, and more resilient.
Tactical IQ and Mindset: Knowing Your Role — and Owning It
To stand out in a trial setting, you must understand your position’s demands. It’s not enough to “play forward” — you have to understand when to press, where to run, how to rotate, and how to impact the game with purpose.
Equally vital is your mindset. Mental resilience, accountability, and competitiveness are traits that coaches look for at the highest level. If you can’t self-motivate, adapt, and lead under pressure, you will likely struggle when trialing alongside academy-trained players.
At Ian McClurg Play Pro, we create Individual Learning Plans that map out not only technical and physical progression, but also tactical education — including match video analysis, decision-making drills, and mentorship to foster professional-level mindset and habits.
Track & Compare: Know Where You Stand
If you don’t track your performance metrics — such as distance covered, high-speed runs, 1v1 duels won/lost, pass accuracy — you have no way to measure progress or benchmark yourself against professional standards.
With our performance wearables, players in our programs can compare their data directly against EPL academy benchmarks, identify their strengths, areas to improve and tailor training to close those individual performance specific to them. gProgress becomes visible, measurable — and motivating.
Are You Ready to Close the Gap?
If you’re serious about pursuing a career in professional football, your development must go beyond weekend games and occasional practices. You need a plan. You need structure. And you need expert mentorship.
Our individualized training programs online — which includes technical, tactical, physical and mental content plus detailed performance tracking — are built to mimic the demands of elite academies across Europe.
Don’t leave your development to chance. Take control.
We receive many requests to help young players pursue training and formal trials at professional clubs in the UK and Europe. However, we can only assist the players that are fully committed to improving their individual performance levels daily on our online training platform.
The performance gap towards professional playing standards in the UK and Europe is just too large to close for players that are not fully committed to following the process required.
