Delivering a Gamespeed-Focused Speed and Agility Development Program in an English Premier League Soccer Academy

Speed has long been considered a highly desirable attribute in soccer with players possessing superior speed often deemed to have an advantage. Typically, this discussion of speed has referred to linear speed, yet speed in a soccer context is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon, requiring the combination of physical, perceptive, cognitive, technical and tactical capabilities. Subsequently, the great advantage of speed to soccer performance is far more than just the possession of linear speed, and is reflected in the ability to perform soccer-related tasks. Importantly, this advantage reflects itself both offensively and defensively, allowing players to deploy a far greater range of options during the course of the game.
Ultimately, speed and agility development needs to look beyond the simple definitions of speed and agility and must reflect the environmental requirements of soccer performance. For any player wishing to maximize soccer performance it is crucial that they are able to access a quality development program that allows them to exploit the capacities of speed and agility in the context of a soccer game – the concept of “gamespeed”. This article will look at how such a program has been developed and deployed in an English Premier League (EPL) Club Academy.