Find out from Ken Gillard, about the changing dynamic between you and your footballer son during their Professional Development Phase and how best to manage through this change.

Watch Ken

Find out from Ken Gillard, about the changing dynamic between you and your footballer son during their Professional Development Phase and how best to manage through this change.

Watch Ken

PDP

Specialist
Support

Below is an overview of the support our teams will give to your son in the Professional Development Phase.

Performance
Analysis

What do we do?

Performance Analysis is a newer discipline in comparison to sports science & medical for example and has developed exponentially with technology. Performance analysis is split into 2 key streams – video and data, of which is coupled to maximally improve individual player performance and team development.

We use video and data simultaneously to improve your son’s development from an individual point of view and, as they progress throughout the age groups, how that links to their role in the team. Video filming provides the foundation of analysis; we have world leading analysis camera software at Hale End and Sobha, including an automated camera system, meaning analysts can focus on analysing the information & creating insights, rather than putting vast human resource to cover games & full training programme. 

Where do we do it?

As players progress through the Academy, they will be exposed to a variety of analysis meetings in each of the 5 facets of analysis – pre-match/opposition analysis, live/matchday analysis, post-match analysis, training analysis and best practice/projects analysis. Each of these 5 areas are delivered in an appropriate player-friendly, visual format as an individual, unit or team and this is carefully decided based on information being delivered.

At Professional Development Phase

The PDP is preparation for senior football. At any moment, a player could be called to the first team. The U18s train with the first team regularly, but we need to get them ready so they can make that next jump. So, what does that mean in terms of Football Analysis?

We help your son develop a greater technical and tactical understanding to achieve optimal development and in turn performance. As parents, you won’t have much contact time with Analysts, so the responsibility is on your son to do the work now.

Development is key, but performance becomes more important. Data is heavily used at team and individual levels now, after every game cycle and sits at the heart of player reviews to help us dive deeper into development areas. For example, in December, we have a player-parent review in which data is used to understand player progress, with metrics relating to their IDAs and comparisons to first-team benchmarks. Everyone develops at different rates, so if a player isn’t at the expected level at something, we’ll implement greater focus in that area whilst remembering that there is context to everything.

We use lots of informative metrics: multiple in- and out-of-possession indicators, displaying benchmarks within the current group and best-in-class examples. We use an increased quantity of advanced data than at LYDP. This provides accurate insights into performance, rather than just development, like pre-match analysis of the opposition to aid a winning game plan/strategy.

There is now a big focus on all facets of analysis: pre-match, match-day, post-match, training, and individual/project analysis. Analysts watch games, filter information to players via video, and integrate data within that process. Pre-match meetings are often split into in-possession and out-of-possession sessions to link directly to on the grass so it supports on-pitch sessions.

For match day analysis, half-time clips are standard for U18 and U21s to provide instant feedback, therefore taking on information live is a key skill that must be developed. Post-match reviews include one-to-one sessions, where players are encouraged to take ownership. We aim to foster a culture where engagement is positive – peer accountability matters. Unit reviews also help open dialogue, especially in smaller groups. Training analysis tends to be ongoing and provide further understanding of progress areas.

For players out on loan, communication is with our dedicated loans team. Analysts clip match footage, the loans manager visits clubs, and Hudl.com is used to ensure players maintain access to their IDAs.

Our message to players: engage with the reviewing of your performance, both team and individual. Drive your own development by clipping your own individual clips and reviewing these with coaches/analysts and you’ll be in a stronger position to earn a professional contract.

Nutrition

What do we do?

Nutrition plays an integral role in overall health, growth and development, training, recovery and match performance. It impacts body composition, strength, power and speed at the elite level.

As players progress through the Academy, we adopt a phased approach to their nutrition education. We begin with a strong food-first foundation, focusing on core principles such as building a balanced plate. From there, we introduce football-specific strategies, including pre- and post-training nutrition, hydration and matchday fuelling. In the later stages, we individualise nutrition plans based on the unique needs of each player, ensuring they are optimally fuelled for performance and recovery.

Where do we do it?

Across all phases, we deliver an education curriculum including theoretical workshops and practical sessions and offer weekly drop-in nutrition clinics for players, parents and host families.

At Professional Development Phase

At the PDP phase, we split the ages. Why? Because the needs and circumstances of an 18-year-old are very different to a 21-year-old.

At U18s, our tagline is learn to be elite. Players enhance their knowledge about their daily needs and how to adapt their nutrition based on their schedule. At, U21s it’s eat to be elite: they apply that knowledge to show self-sufficient behaviours every day, before the next step into professional football.

We invite parents and significant others to stay involved as much as you want, but to be aware that while at U18, it’s 80% player involvement and 20% parents/host family, at U21s, it’s 90% players and 10% supportive/significant others.

So, what does day to day fuelling look like? We provide players with two meals (generally breakfast and lunch) and full-time nutrition support. The Nutrition team is present at every meal, guiding players’ decisions and working closely with the chefs to target their needs every day. Hotel stays become a lot more regular and players receive a pre- and post-match meal for every game.

Supplements

We start to provide supplements from U18 based on blood work, if there’s a specific deficiency or clear performance benefit to be gained.

All supplements must be Informed Sport approved, batch tested and only provided by the club. For players reading, if you want to take any supplements, speak to a club nutritionist or a member of the medical team before taking it.

Screening

Each player completes a Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire at the start of pre-season. This helps us guide education across the season.

Nutrition intake is monitored with a detailed method called Snap and Send. Players send photos of their meals on specified days, which allows us to track eating habits. If meals are missed, we’ll do a 24 hour recall, so we can fill in gaps and give feedback. This is logged on a nutrition platform and provides a detailed breakdown of what they’re having over that period. 

DEXA (body) scans happen three times a year for U18 (pre-season, mid-season, end of season) and four times a year for U21 (at the start of pre-season, end of pre-season, midseason and end of season).

We take bloods in pre-season to get a baseline and then another measure in November for all players, to monitor nutrition status and see if our dietary and supplementation strategies have been successful.

Players with injuries get a very detailed nutrition programme, with additional monitoring throughout long terms injuries to track muscle mass changes or asymmetries.

For players on loan, we send a handover to the loan club from a nutrition perspective, this includes their usual habits, body composition targets, blood results, supplements, and match day routines. It can be difficult to adjust to the change, but we maintain regular check-ins with the players.

For any players reading, the main message around Nutrition is that you’re learning and eating to be an elite player. Keep showing those self-sufficient behaviours every day, before the next step into professional football.

Physical

Performance

What do we do?

As a Physical Performance team, we develop players’ physical attributes: how quick, strong, powerful and fit they are. Our approach is player centred. Your son follows an individualised programme focused on long-term athletic development. We identify their strengths and areas to develop, leading to a clear action plan to make them physically healthy and capable of applying their attributes on the pitch.

We work closely with the coaches and the Multi-Disciplinary Team, informing them of the training load of the players or how much running they’ve done during a game. From that we can prescribe intensities for the week or months after to develop the players on an individual basis.


We also work with players from an injury prevention and rehabilitation aspect. If your son gets injured, they’ll spend time with the physio initially, then we’ll return them to the pitch in a safe and gradual manner – before they join back in the team training.

Where do we do it?

At a variety of locations. We do sessions with the players inside in the gym and sometimes do specific athletic development sessions in the Dome. Before the football session, for U12s and older, we’ll do the first 15-20 minutes of athletic development on pitch. We also might give your son some sessions to do at home, whether that’s injury prevention or conditioning as they return from injury.

We deliver the best programme to enhance your son’s performance and optimise him as a footballer. You play a vital role by asking questions, maintaining open communication and encouraging your son to maximise each opportunity to develop.

At Professional Development Phase

At this phase, it’s a full-time programme which includes both football and education. The schedule is demanding but our multi-disciplinary team of specialists are always here to support you son. It’s a big step up from Hale End to Sobha, moving from a part-time to full-time programme. Players will be continuously challenged to maximise their development and with our support they will have the opportunity to develop as a person and player, towards first team football.

When transitioning from a part-time to full-time programme there will be an increased physical demand on your son. It is important to acknowledge this and external training outside of Arsenal should be minimised to allow your son the best opportunity to follow the academy programme without risking overtraining or injury.

From a Most Efficient Mover perspective, in the younger phases, play and exploration are emphasised. In the PDP, the focus shifts towards more structured periodised training with higher intensity, fine-tuning strengths, improving weaknesses and optimising performance.

Please be aware of the information below, but this largely applies to your son as he is in the driving seat now.

What does a typical week look like?

U18 matches are typically played on Saturdays and players rest on Sunday. However, throughout the season players will have to play midweek and weekend games. Therefore, the players need to develop the capacity to do this. 

On a Monday players will report in the morning for education. Following education at around 12:30 the players will report to the gym for a performance and wellbeing check in to see how are ahead of the training week. After this, the players will go for lunch, which is typically followed by analysis, where the players will review the game from the weekend. Before training the players will come into the gym for a pre-training preparation session, this session focuses on preparing the players optimally for the training session and the training theme. The players will then go out for training and after this they will have a gym session focusing on upper body and core strength development. The players have individualised physical development programme so might do different exercises depending on their specific needs.

On Tuesdays, players will report for breakfast before having an analysis session with the coaching staff. Following this, they will have a prep session in the gym before training. On Tuesday the players will train in the morning, have lunch and then train again in the afternoon. After the second training session the players will have a gym session, which will focus on lower body strength development. Tuesday is one of the biggest days for the U18 players in terms of training intensity and training volume, therefore, it is important to focus on recovery on Wednesday to be optimally prepared for training on Thursday.

On Wednesday the players will have education all day.

On Thursdays, it’s a similar structure to Tuesdays. The players will perform a power session in their prep session which will be following by two training sessions (AM & PM). The players will often perform a double session and gym session on Thursdays; however, the PM training session may be more tactical based in the dome.

On Fridays, this is typically a lighter training day to reduce the players training loads in preparation for the match. Before training the players will have a Pre-Match Analysis session with the coaching staff and following the training session the players will have a recovery session (ice baths, pool mobility, soft tissue work, recovery leggings) to optimise their readiness for the game.

Throughout the week, players may be required to train with the first team. This is a great opportunity for the chosen players to experience first team level football.

Testing

Players undergo regularly physical profiling (Screening, Testing & Monitoring) throughout the season, which include tests for strength, power, speed and endurance. Profiling allows the physical performance team to track the players physical development and compare their scores with age/growth related benchmarks. Following this, we can use the profiling data to identify strengths and areas of development, which we will use to structure their physical development programme.

Message to the players

For players reading, dedicate yourself fully to the programme and immerse yourself in it. The two scholarship years pass quickly and are a critical window for football and physical development. Give 100% every day, work hard and be consistent to maximise your long term development.

Physiotherapy

What do we do?

The Physiotherapy department at the Academy aims to maximise player availability by reducing the impact of injury and illness and therefore allowing more development time on the pitch. This involves screening, injury rehab and working in a multidisciplinary team to ensure players return in the quickest, safest way.

We run an open-door policy for questions, emphasise education and prioritise early detection. Early reporting gives us the best chance to keep players on the pitch. Our goal isn’t just return-to-play but also staying on the pitch. When injuries occur, players and parents are encouraged to ask questions to understand the issue. 

Up to U16, you are welcome to join assessments where we discuss with your son how to manage the injury and provide clear explanations of physiology and anatomy to help support recovery. As boys get older and it becomes full time, it’s much more prescriptive with what players need to do. 

At Professional Development Phase

After EYDP and LYDP, as a Physiotherapy team we have more daily interaction with your son. Every player checks in with a physio at least once a week, and if they report an ache or pain, they’ll be checked daily to make sure it’s not getting worse. We also monitor fatigue, to ensure players have recovered fully before training again.

Medical care here is a step up: we treat players in the same way we would in a first-team environment. If a scan or specialist review is needed, we will arrange this in the quickest time possible.

Players are now full time, so we expect more responsibility. That means not relying on you to call us but reporting illness or injury themselves. If they wake up sore, the expectation is to tell us straight away, so that we can try to prevent niggles turning into bigger problems.

As a parent your role is still important for longer-term injuries, but communication is led by your son. We know that can be tough, especially with boys moving away from home, but we’re always here if needed.

Our job is to keep players on the pitch. As they move onwards to the professional phase, we’ll help separate which aches and pains they can push through, which need modifying and which need further investigation.

Injuries are managed with clear diagnosis and timeframes. Players are given targets for each stage of their rehab, so they know what progress and returning to play looks like. Longer injuries are mentally harder, so we support players through them with help from the wider MDT.

Players also now fall under anti-doping rules. That means ‘whereabouts’ reporting, random testing and being very careful with any medications or supplements. Nothing should be taken without checking with the medical team first, even over-the-counter medication.

Finally, if you’re working with external trainers or practitioners, it’s key that we link up so that what they’re doing fits with our approach.

The main message to players is simple: report niggles early, take responsibility and understand that we’re here to help keep you on the pitch. Most of the time reporting an issue won’t mean being pulled out, it’ll mean adjusting things so you can keep going and avoid a bigger setback.

Player Care

What do we do?

Player Care focuses on empowering your son to learn and develop using the Football Academy, helping him grow as a footballer and as a person with skills he will take into adult life, whatever career he chooses. We support players with their personal development goals and celebrate these milestones, in football and life.

Where do we do it?

The Player Care team has a presence at both Hale End and Sobha and there is always an opportunity for 1: 1 contact time for any player around player care or wellbeing in performance.  Conversations, either pitch-side, in the corridor or the canteen, are positively encouraged and they are welcome to come into the office and to have a chat, whether that’s about home, school, football or what’s happening on the weekend.

At Professional Development Phase

At PDP we prepare players for the world of football. They are close to becoming professional footballers and have a very busy schedule. They may be in from 8.30 am and not leave till 5:30 pm.

It’s now their job and a lot of the responsibility falls on them to manage things like their weekly schedule, more so than you as a parent, as they transition into adulthood. Want to support? You can really help by encouraging your son to take in information and keep working hard every day striving to become a Strong Young Gunner.

As parents, you have significantly less contact with Player Care from now on, but you are still welcome to communicate with us. We’re always there to support you on this journey.

1:1 Time

There is a lot more personal development time, 1:1 as well as small groups, working on individual goals outside of football. From sleeping patterns and routines, language lessons with external tutors, to exploring future business opportunities. With more free time in the evenings, we encourage having a side hustle, like fashion or music.

We support players in identifying stressors and coping mechanisms, practicing mindfulness and teaching breathing techniques which help in football, but also in everyday life. 

Workshops

We run regular Lifelong Learner sessions, often aligned with the topics players are learning about in their BTEC, A levels and Sporting Excellence Professional (SEP). During half term we increase Lifelong Learner time and the number of workshops. This is often continued learning from Hale End, covering similar topics but tailored more to independent adults. As players prepare to move away from home, we support with living self-sufficiently, learning to cook and driving theory tests.

We have workshops around managing finance, taxes and employment. At U18s, we provide anti-doping and media training, sometimes with the support of external journalists, to prepare for what might come their way in the future of professional sport.

Psychology

What do we do?

As a Psychology department, we provide group-level psychological support during sessions, in workshops and in analysis meetings. We also work closely with players on an individual, often around performance support, but sometimes well-being and mental health, which we collaborate on with the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

We work with the coaches, who are very experienced and psychologically aware, so our role is to align their knowledge of psychology, football and the players with our expertise in child and adolescent brain development, understanding this generation and bringing in psychological strategies.

Champion Mentality is gradually integrated as your son moves up through the phases, through the respective coaches and staff into sessions on and off the grass.

Where do we do it?

There are between 1-4 sessions per week, depending on the phase. These are primarily on the grass, but also in the gym and the analysis classroom.

At Professional Development Phase

At the Professional Development Phase, the Psychology department works slightly differently across U18 and U21. Your son is learning about himself and taking more ownership of his development.

U18

A member of the Psychology team is out on the grass with your son every session, making sure Champion Mentality is embedded daily. Throughout the season, we run six-week Champion Mentality themes. Pre-season focuses on responsibility and self-awareness to support the transition from part time to full time.

We embed these themes into training, give live feedback during sessions and plan interventions with coaches. Conversations happen in the moment during coaching but also in 1:1s. We embed Champion Mentality in daily processes, not only when screening.

We know it can be hard as a parent to let go, but this is the stage to treat your son as an individual. Support him but allow him to make his own choices. He’s learning to make decisions and live with the consequences – so your support is still important.

Screening

Players score themselves across the pillar in pre-season, then coaches and the psychology team do the same. We compare, discuss and establish a Champion Mentality Individual Development Area so they’re part of the process from the start. Players then get reviewed regularly during the season and strategies and support provided linked to their development area.

Themes are also embedded across all departments, not just on pitch. Physios, Physical Performance and Education staff all integrate it into their work. With many U16s training with the U18s, these elements can feed back to younger groups as well.

All players will complete mental health and wellbeing screening every month and this is tracked throughout the season. If a concern has been identified, we will undertake further assessment/investigation to identify what support may be needed. A decision will then be made to determine if support can be delivered internally and who is best to provide this, or whether external support is needed via clear referral pathways and identified providers.

U21

At U21, we treat players as professionals – role models for the rest of the Academy. They’re expected to have self-awareness, commitment and a growth mindset every day. Their performance should be consistent, whether at U21s, in the EFL Cup, on loan, or training with the first team.

We also know they’re still young, there’s still development and risk-taking. We balance high standards with care through daily check-ins and open communication with staff. With a wider support team, players need to feel open and know staff will support them whatever they’re going through.

There is a member from the Psychology team with players almost every day. This might be in meetings, gym sessions, out on the pitch or in the canteen. Sometimes it will be an informal chat that is not about performance at all.

Screening

This is the most advanced stage before players move into full-time football or elsewhere. We do a three-phase assessment against the psychological behaviours we see as fundamental for an Arsenal player. First, players self-assess in pre-season, which are then assessed by the psychology department, coaches and support staff.

By September, we agree on where they want to grow and strategies to help. We tailor approaches to their learning style. Psychology content often comes through team meetings: clips, examples and visuals linked to Champion Mentality. Coaches also reinforce it in sessions, gym work and everyday behaviours.

As young professionals, body language is huge. People are constantly judging them on how they hold themselves. So, we highlight examples of their best behaviours and where they need to improve, then get them to review it back. Three times a season, players present in the boardroom, showing how they’ve developed against Champion Mentality. It’s a cycle of learning, assessing, reviewing and applying in real contexts like loans or first-team opportunities.

Loans

The loan is often the final step to becoming a professional footballer and is an exciting challenge. There’s no single blueprint – every player’s loan journey is different.

We stay in regular contact to help guide players on loan. But it’s complex. Players often struggle with being away from home, different coaching styles, or simply not playing. If it’s a mental health concern, we escalate appropriately.

The challenge is independence and loans test whether players can handle that shift. That’s why we aim to create independent learners from as early as U12s.

It can be tough, but it’s also the best test of independence and a big step towards becoming a professional.

For players

For players reading, everything is individualised to you. We rarely do group workshops on communication at U21s level, because everyone is different. As a player, learn your strengths, your identity and your character. Ask – what does Champion Mentality look like for you? We’ll give you the platform to practice it – it’s up to you to take the opportunity.

Analysis

Nutrition

Physical

Physiotherapy

Player Care

Psychology

Our Phases

Foundation

Early Youth Development

Late youth Development

Professional Development

Performance
Analysis

What do we do?

Performance Analysis is a newer discipline in comparison to sports science & medical for example and has developed exponentially with technology. Performance analysis is split into 2 key streams – video and data, of which is coupled to maximally improve individual player performance and team development.

We use video and data simultaneously to improve your son’s development from an individual point of view and, as they progress throughout the age groups, how that links to their role in the team. Video filming provides the foundation of analysis; we have world leading analysis camera software at Hale End and Sobha, including an automated camera system, meaning analysts can focus on analysing the information & creating insights, rather than putting vast human resource to cover games & full training programme. 

Where do we do it?

As players progress through the Academy, they will be exposed to a variety of analysis meetings in each of the 5 facets of analysis – pre-match/opposition analysis, live/matchday analysis, post-match analysis, training analysis and best practice/projects analysis. Each of these 5 areas are delivered in an appropriate player-friendly, visual format as an individual, unit or team and this is carefully decided based on information being delivered.

At Professional Development Phase

The PDP is preparation for senior football. At any moment, a player could be called to the first team. The U18s train with the first team regularly, but we need to get them ready so they can make that next jump. So, what does that mean in terms of Football Analysis?

We help your son develop a greater technical and tactical understanding to achieve optimal development and in turn performance. As parents, you won’t have much contact time with Analysts, so the responsibility is on your son to do the work now.

Development is key, but performance becomes more important. Data is heavily used at team and individual levels now, after every game cycle and sits at the heart of player reviews to help us dive deeper into development areas. For example, in December, we have a player-parent review in which data is used to understand player progress, with metrics relating to their IDAs and comparisons to first-team benchmarks. Everyone develops at different rates, so if a player isn’t at the expected level at something, we’ll implement greater focus in that area whilst remembering that there is context to everything.

We use lots of informative metrics: multiple in- and out-of-possession indicators, displaying benchmarks within the current group and best-in-class examples. We use an increased quantity of advanced data than at LYDP. This provides accurate insights into performance, rather than just development, like pre-match analysis of the opposition to aid a winning game plan/strategy.

There is now a big focus on all facets of analysis: pre-match, match-day, post-match, training, and individual/project analysis. Analysts watch games, filter information to players via video, and integrate data within that process. Pre-match meetings are often split into in-possession and out-of-possession sessions to link directly to on the grass so it supports on-pitch sessions.

For match day analysis, half-time clips are standard for U18 and U21s to provide instant feedback, therefore taking on information live is a key skill that must be developed. Post-match reviews include one-to-one sessions, where players are encouraged to take ownership. We aim to foster a culture where engagement is positive – peer accountability matters. Unit reviews also help open dialogue, especially in smaller groups. Training analysis tends to be ongoing and provide further understanding of progress areas.

For players out on loan, communication is with our dedicated loans team. Analysts clip match footage, the loans manager visits clubs, and Hudl.com is used to ensure players maintain access to their IDAs.

Our message to players: engage with the reviewing of your performance, both team and individual. Drive your own development by clipping your own individual clips and reviewing these with coaches/analysts and you’ll be in a stronger position to earn a professional contract.

Nutrition

What do we do?

Nutrition plays an integral role in overall health, growth and development, training, recovery and match performance. It impacts body composition, strength, power and speed at the elite level.

As players progress through the Academy, we adopt a phased approach to their nutrition education. We begin with a strong food-first foundation, focusing on core principles such as building a balanced plate. From there, we introduce football-specific strategies, including pre- and post-training nutrition, hydration and matchday fuelling. In the later stages, we individualise nutrition plans based on the unique needs of each player, ensuring they are optimally fuelled for performance and recovery.

Where do we do it?

Across all phases, we deliver an education curriculum including theoretical workshops and practical sessions and offer weekly drop-in nutrition clinics for players, parents and host families.

At Professional Development Phase

At the PDP phase, we split the ages. Why? Because the needs and circumstances of an 18-year-old are very different to a 21-year-old.

At U18s, our tagline is learn to be elite. Players enhance their knowledge about their daily needs and how to adapt their nutrition based on their schedule. At, U21s it’s eat to be elite: they apply that knowledge to show self-sufficient behaviours every day, before the next step into professional football.

We invite parents and significant others to stay involved as much as you want, but to be aware that while at U18, it’s 80% player involvement and 20% parents/host family, at U21s, it’s 90% players and 10% supportive/significant others.

So, what does day to day fuelling look like? We provide players with two meals (generally breakfast and lunch) and full-time nutrition support. The Nutrition team is present at every meal, guiding players’ decisions and working closely with the chefs to target their needs every day. Hotel stays become a lot more regular and players receive a pre- and post-match meal for every game.

Supplements

We start to provide supplements from U18 based on blood work, if there’s a specific deficiency or clear performance benefit to be gained.

All supplements must be Informed Sport approved, batch tested and only provided by the club. For players reading, if you want to take any supplements, speak to a club nutritionist or a member of the medical team before taking it.

Screening

Each player completes a Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire at the start of pre-season. This helps us guide education across the season.

Nutrition intake is monitored with a detailed method called Snap and Send. Players send photos of their meals on specified days, which allows us to track eating habits. If meals are missed, we’ll do a 24 hour recall, so we can fill in gaps and give feedback. This is logged on a nutrition platform and provides a detailed breakdown of what they’re having over that period. 

DEXA (body) scans happen three times a year for U18 (pre-season, mid-season, end of season) and four times a year for U21 (at the start of pre-season, end of pre-season, midseason and end of season).

We take bloods in pre-season to get a baseline and then another measure in November for all players, to monitor nutrition status and see if our dietary and supplementation strategies have been successful.

Players with injuries get a very detailed nutrition programme, with additional monitoring throughout long terms injuries to track muscle mass changes or asymmetries.

For players on loan, we send a handover to the loan club from a nutrition perspective, this includes their usual habits, body composition targets, blood results, supplements, and match day routines. It can be difficult to adjust to the change, but we maintain regular check-ins with the players.

For any players reading, the main message around Nutrition is that you’re learning and eating to be an elite player. Keep showing those self-sufficient behaviours every day, before the next step into professional football.

Physical

Performance

What do we do?

As a Physical Performance team, we develop players’ physical attributes: how quick, strong, powerful and fit they are. Our approach is player centred. Your son follows an individualised programme focused on long-term athletic development. We identify their strengths and areas to develop, leading to a clear action plan to make them physically healthy and capable of applying their attributes on the pitch.

We work closely with the coaches and the Multi-Disciplinary Team, informing them of the training load of the players or how much running they’ve done during a game. From that we can prescribe intensities for the week or months after to develop the players on an individual basis.


We also work with players from an injury prevention and rehabilitation aspect. If your son gets injured, they’ll spend time with the physio initially, then we’ll return them to the pitch in a safe and gradual manner – before they join back in the team training.

Where do we do it?

At a variety of locations. We do sessions with the players inside in the gym and sometimes do specific athletic development sessions in the Dome. Before the football session, for U12s and older, we’ll do the first 15-20 minutes of athletic development on pitch. We also might give your son some sessions to do at home, whether that’s injury prevention or conditioning as they return from injury.

We deliver the best programme to enhance your son’s performance and optimise him as a footballer. You play a vital role by asking questions, maintaining open communication and encouraging your son to maximise each opportunity to develop.

At Professional Development Phase

At this phase, it’s a full-time programme which includes both football and education. The schedule is demanding but our multi-disciplinary team of specialists are always here to support you son. It’s a big step up from Hale End to Sobha, moving from a part-time to full-time programme. Players will be continuously challenged to maximise their development and with our support they will have the opportunity to develop as a person and player, towards first team football.

When transitioning from a part-time to full-time programme there will be an increased physical demand on your son. It is important to acknowledge this and external training outside of Arsenal should be minimised to allow your son the best opportunity to follow the academy programme without risking overtraining or injury.

From a Most Efficient Mover perspective, in the younger phases, play and exploration are emphasised. In the PDP, the focus shifts towards more structured periodised training with higher intensity, fine-tuning strengths, improving weaknesses and optimising performance.

Please be aware of the information below, but this largely applies to your son as he is in the driving seat now.

What does a typical week look like?

U18 matches are typically played on Saturdays and players rest on Sunday. However, throughout the season players will have to play midweek and weekend games. Therefore, the players need to develop the capacity to do this. 

On a Monday players will report in the morning for education. Following education at around 12:30 the players will report to the gym for a performance and wellbeing check in to see how are ahead of the training week. After this, the players will go for lunch, which is typically followed by analysis, where the players will review the game from the weekend. Before training the players will come into the gym for a pre-training preparation session, this session focuses on preparing the players optimally for the training session and the training theme. The players will then go out for training and after this they will have a gym session focusing on upper body and core strength development. The players have individualised physical development programme so might do different exercises depending on their specific needs.

On Tuesdays, players will report for breakfast before having an analysis session with the coaching staff. Following this, they will have a prep session in the gym before training. On Tuesday the players will train in the morning, have lunch and then train again in the afternoon. After the second training session the players will have a gym session, which will focus on lower body strength development. Tuesday is one of the biggest days for the U18 players in terms of training intensity and training volume, therefore, it is important to focus on recovery on Wednesday to be optimally prepared for training on Thursday.

On Wednesday the players will have education all day.

On Thursdays, it’s a similar structure to Tuesdays. The players will perform a power session in their prep session which will be following by two training sessions (AM & PM). The players will often perform a double session and gym session on Thursdays; however, the PM training session may be more tactical based in the dome.

On Fridays, this is typically a lighter training day to reduce the players training loads in preparation for the match. Before training the players will have a Pre-Match Analysis session with the coaching staff and following the training session the players will have a recovery session (ice baths, pool mobility, soft tissue work, recovery leggings) to optimise their readiness for the game.

Throughout the week, players may be required to train with the first team. This is a great opportunity for the chosen players to experience first team level football.

Testing

Players undergo regularly physical profiling (Screening, Testing & Monitoring) throughout the season, which include tests for strength, power, speed and endurance. Profiling allows the physical performance team to track the players physical development and compare their scores with age/growth related benchmarks. Following this, we can use the profiling data to identify strengths and areas of development, which we will use to structure their physical development programme.

Message to the players

For players reading, dedicate yourself fully to the programme and immerse yourself in it. The two scholarship years pass quickly and are a critical window for football and physical development. Give 100% every day, work hard and be consistent to maximise your long term development.

Physiotherapy

What do we do?

The Physiotherapy department at the Academy aims to maximise player availability by reducing the impact of injury and illness and therefore allowing more development time on the pitch. This involves screening, injury rehab and working in a multidisciplinary team to ensure players return in the quickest, safest way.

We run an open-door policy for questions, emphasise education and prioritise early detection. Early reporting gives us the best chance to keep players on the pitch. Our goal isn’t just return-to-play but also staying on the pitch. When injuries occur, players and parents are encouraged to ask questions to understand the issue. 

Up to U16, you are welcome to join assessments where we discuss with your son how to manage the injury and provide clear explanations of physiology and anatomy to help support recovery. As boys get older and it becomes full time, it’s much more prescriptive with what players need to do. 

At Professional Development Phase

After EYDP and LYDP, as a Physiotherapy team we have more daily interaction with your son. Every player checks in with a physio at least once a week, and if they report an ache or pain, they’ll be checked daily to make sure it’s not getting worse. We also monitor fatigue, to ensure players have recovered fully before training again.

Medical care here is a step up: we treat players in the same way we would in a first-team environment. If a scan or specialist review is needed, we will arrange this in the quickest time possible.

Players are now full time, so we expect more responsibility. That means not relying on you to call us but reporting illness or injury themselves. If they wake up sore, the expectation is to tell us straight away, so that we can try to prevent niggles turning into bigger problems.

As a parent your role is still important for longer-term injuries, but communication is led by your son. We know that can be tough, especially with boys moving away from home, but we’re always here if needed.

Our job is to keep players on the pitch. As they move onwards to the professional phase, we’ll help separate which aches and pains they can push through, which need modifying and which need further investigation.

Injuries are managed with clear diagnosis and timeframes. Players are given targets for each stage of their rehab, so they know what progress and returning to play looks like. Longer injuries are mentally harder, so we support players through them with help from the wider MDT.

Players also now fall under anti-doping rules. That means ‘whereabouts’ reporting, random testing and being very careful with any medications or supplements. Nothing should be taken without checking with the medical team first, even over-the-counter medication.

Finally, if you’re working with external trainers or practitioners, it’s key that we link up so that what they’re doing fits with our approach.

The main message to players is simple: report niggles early, take responsibility and understand that we’re here to help keep you on the pitch. Most of the time reporting an issue won’t mean being pulled out, it’ll mean adjusting things so you can keep going and avoid a bigger setback.

Player Care

What do we do?

Player Care focuses on empowering your son to learn and develop using the Football Academy, helping him grow as a footballer and as a person with skills he will take into adult life, whatever career he chooses. We support players with their personal development goals and celebrate these milestones, in football and life.

Where do we do it?

The Player Care team has a presence at both Hale End and Sobha and there is always an opportunity for 1: 1 contact time for any player around player care or wellbeing in performance.  Conversations, either pitch-side, in the corridor or the canteen, are positively encouraged and they are welcome to come into the office and to have a chat, whether that’s about home, school, football or what’s happening on the weekend.

At Professional Development Phase

At PDP we prepare players for the world of football. They are close to becoming professional footballers and have a very busy schedule. They may be in from 8.30 am and not leave till 5:30 pm.

It’s now their job and a lot of the responsibility falls on them to manage things like their weekly schedule, more so than you as a parent, as they transition into adulthood. Want to support? You can really help by encouraging your son to take in information and keep working hard every day striving to become a Strong Young Gunner.

As parents, you have significantly less contact with Player Care from now on, but you are still welcome to communicate with us. We’re always there to support you on this journey.

1:1 Time

There is a lot more personal development time, 1:1 as well as small groups, working on individual goals outside of football. From sleeping patterns and routines, language lessons with external tutors, to exploring future business opportunities. With more free time in the evenings, we encourage having a side hustle, like fashion or music.

We support players in identifying stressors and coping mechanisms, practicing mindfulness and teaching breathing techniques which help in football, but also in everyday life. 

Workshops

We run regular Lifelong Learner sessions, often aligned with the topics players are learning about in their BTEC, A levels and Sporting Excellence Professional (SEP). During half term we increase Lifelong Learner time and the number of workshops. This is often continued learning from Hale End, covering similar topics but tailored more to independent adults. As players prepare to move away from home, we support with living self-sufficiently, learning to cook and driving theory tests.

We have workshops around managing finance, taxes and employment. At U18s, we provide anti-doping and media training, sometimes with the support of external journalists, to prepare for what might come their way in the future of professional sport.

Psychology

What do we do?

As a Psychology department, we provide group-level psychological support during sessions, in workshops and in analysis meetings. We also work closely with players on an individual, often around performance support, but sometimes well-being and mental health, which we collaborate on with the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

We work with the coaches, who are very experienced and psychologically aware, so our role is to align their knowledge of psychology, football and the players with our expertise in child and adolescent brain development, understanding this generation and bringing in psychological strategies.

Champion Mentality is gradually integrated as your son moves up through the phases, through the respective coaches and staff into sessions on and off the grass.

Where do we do it?

There are between 1-4 sessions per week, depending on the phase. These are primarily on the grass, but also in the gym and the analysis classroom.

At Professional Development Phase

At the Professional Development Phase, the Psychology department works slightly differently across U18 and U21. Your son is learning about himself and taking more ownership of his development.

U18

A member of the Psychology team is out on the grass with your son every session, making sure Champion Mentality is embedded daily. Throughout the season, we run six-week Champion Mentality themes. Pre-season focuses on responsibility and self-awareness to support the transition from part time to full time.

We embed these themes into training, give live feedback during sessions and plan interventions with coaches. Conversations happen in the moment during coaching but also in 1:1s. We embed Champion Mentality in daily processes, not only when screening.

We know it can be hard as a parent to let go, but this is the stage to treat your son as an individual. Support him but allow him to make his own choices. He’s learning to make decisions and live with the consequences – so your support is still important.

Screening

Players score themselves across the pillar in pre-season, then coaches and the psychology team do the same. We compare, discuss and establish a Champion Mentality Individual Development Area so they’re part of the process from the start. Players then get reviewed regularly during the season and strategies and support provided linked to their development area.

Themes are also embedded across all departments, not just on pitch. Physios, Physical Performance and Education staff all integrate it into their work. With many U16s training with the U18s, these elements can feed back to younger groups as well.

All players will complete mental health and wellbeing screening every month and this is tracked throughout the season. If a concern has been identified, we will undertake further assessment/investigation to identify what support may be needed. A decision will then be made to determine if support can be delivered internally and who is best to provide this, or whether external support is needed via clear referral pathways and identified providers.

U21

At U21, we treat players as professionals – role models for the rest of the Academy. They’re expected to have self-awareness, commitment and a growth mindset every day. Their performance should be consistent, whether at U21s, in the EFL Cup, on loan, or training with the first team.

We also know they’re still young, there’s still development and risk-taking. We balance high standards with care through daily check-ins and open communication with staff. With a wider support team, players need to feel open and know staff will support them whatever they’re going through.

There is a member from the Psychology team with players almost every day. This might be in meetings, gym sessions, out on the pitch or in the canteen. Sometimes it will be an informal chat that is not about performance at all.

Screening

This is the most advanced stage before players move into full-time football or elsewhere. We do a three-phase assessment against the psychological behaviours we see as fundamental for an Arsenal player. First, players self-assess in pre-season, which are then assessed by the psychology department, coaches and support staff.

By September, we agree on where they want to grow and strategies to help. We tailor approaches to their learning style. Psychology content often comes through team meetings: clips, examples and visuals linked to Champion Mentality. Coaches also reinforce it in sessions, gym work and everyday behaviours.

As young professionals, body language is huge. People are constantly judging them on how they hold themselves. So, we highlight examples of their best behaviours and where they need to improve, then get them to review it back. Three times a season, players present in the boardroom, showing how they’ve developed against Champion Mentality. It’s a cycle of learning, assessing, reviewing and applying in real contexts like loans or first-team opportunities.

Loans

The loan is often the final step to becoming a professional footballer and is an exciting challenge. There’s no single blueprint – every player’s loan journey is different.

We stay in regular contact to help guide players on loan. But it’s complex. Players often struggle with being away from home, different coaching styles, or simply not playing. If it’s a mental health concern, we escalate appropriately.

The challenge is independence and loans test whether players can handle that shift. That’s why we aim to create independent learners from as early as U12s.

It can be tough, but it’s also the best test of independence and a big step towards becoming a professional.

For players

For players reading, everything is individualised to you. We rarely do group workshops on communication at U21s level, because everyone is different. As a player, learn your strengths, your identity and your character. Ask – what does Champion Mentality look like for you? We’ll give you the platform to practice it – it’s up to you to take the opportunity.

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