Young players’ mentality, adaptability and the ability to cope with the initial shock of first team exposure are the keys to surviving the transition from academy football to elite first teams, new research by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) suggests.

The study, led by Sports Coaching lecturer and former professional footballer, Dr Mark McGuigan, was published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, was undertaken at Celtic F.C. and offers timely insights into one of the most pressing issues facing Scottish football at present: how to successfully develop and retain homegrown talent.

Participants included five academy-graduate first team players and the head coach who contributed perspectives of youth to first team transition within the elite club.

They all cited “possessing an attitude and desire to work hard as being fundamental to successful transition to first team football and long-term sustainment of first team status”.

All participants perceived this as being more effective than attributes such as natural talent and technical ability.

Dr Mark McGuigan said: “The journey from academy to first team football is often a highly challenging and turbulent time.

“Our findings suggest that while natural talent and technical ability are highly important, those traits alone are not enough to survive this transition.

“Clubs therefore have an important role to play in supporting young players through this process, not only through developing technical ability, but in building mental strength and resilience to overcome the initial shock and pressures that come with elite football.”

The importance of adapting to the pressures of a result-driven first team environment, where jobs and titles are at stake, is another of the report’s key findings.

The increase in demands in the early phase of transition “shocked the players, resulting in feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt regarding their ability to compete with first team players”, the report says.
It continues: “At the elite clubs, there is an expectation to bridge that gap quickly, and it is important for transitioning youth players to survive this early phase to allow for the opportunity of long-term adaptation.”

The research comes as Scottish Premiership Football League clubs are considering proposals by the Scottish Football Association on how to improve pathways for young talent to grow a renowned international team, including financial incentives for increasing game time for Scottish players.

Dr Mark McGuigan worked as a fitness coach at Celtic when he was offered the opportunity to study his PhD whilst completing his MSc in Sports Coaching at UWS, Celtic’s official sports science partner for their Youth Academy.

He previously played professionally for Partick Thistle, Albion Rovers, Stranraer and Stenhousemuir, and trained at Celtic in his youth.