If you’ve been released from your club and seen your dreams dashed, fret not – it’s not all over yet. The Nike Academy, a dedicated pro-level programme, aims to help skilful, committed young players make it as professional footballers.
It is already supported by the Premier League, and now FourFourTwo is proud to say we’ve got in on the action too. Our playing section, Performance, is forming an exclusive partnership to provide the highest-quality advice for footballers of all abilities – after all, why shouldn’t we all benefit from Nike Academy’s wealth of coaching knowledge?
Over the coming year, we will work alongside Nike’s top players and coaches to produce a series of videos to develop your technique, speed, power, reaction and agility. Based at Loughborough University, the scheme offers aspiring players without professional clubs a chance to enter or re-enter the professional game, aided by its world-class coaching, facilities and fixtures.
The Nike Academy has already played against the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and this summer they took the scalps of Celtic, Racing Genk and Sunderland. Six Nike Academy players have won full-time contracts with professional teams; most recent to graduate was 21-year-old centre-back Ryan James, who signed with Oxford United after impressing at the Academy.
As part of this partnership, FFT will track the progress of the Nike Academy throughout their first season as a full-time organisation. The Academy will play weekly fixtures against elite academies and professional reserve teams across the globe.
You can find out more about how you can get involved with the Nike Academy, and watch the players’ progress this season, by visiting Facebook and NikeFootball.com.
