CONTENT FROM THE FORMER LMA SCHOOL OF FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT COURE ON ' IDENYIFYING POTENTIAL TALENT
Is it important where a player is born ? .......'Where are you are born is more important than when you were born' is the argument made here from research in Ireland
Other examples would be the following research :
Geographical Background of USA Internationals here
Devon and Trowbridge !
Also see this excellent research on the geo location of players in England here
The birth Location of the famous Lisbon Lions here
From this artcle - Research has also suggested that “smaller communities may foster a more salient context for youth sport participation” due to their structure, function and underlying cultural approach to the game. Further research shown here , here and here
Please view the excellent research on ' Hotspots ' and Migration by Laura Finnegan here about migration within Ireland and in England here
( For example - Results indicated that men and women athletes born in districts of 200,000–399,999 were 2.4 times more likely to attain elite sporting status)
See below video about French Hotspots and beneath that a recent study of Hotspots in South London where Young England players in the England Senior Team, Under 21, U19 and U17 were born
Also see below a map of Liverpool showing where Liverpool FC players were born but of course doesn’t include Evertonians or the likes of Roy McFarland, Steve Coppell, Alvin Martin, Dennis Mortimer, Kenny Swain, Aaron Creswell, Kevin Nolan, Connor Coady, who started at other non Liverpool clubs
March 2021- great article here of the Hotspot in Norway involving Erling Haaland
I was confused that places like Merseyside and East London had produced so many great players as outfielders but so few Goalkeepers. Even the Liverpool Echo agreed ! https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/other-sport/amateur-sport/scouse-goalkeepers-3403229
It appears that Goalkeepers in England do grow up in slightly different circumstances - maybe in smaller towns e.g. Shilton ( Branston - village in Leicestershire) , Clemence ( Skegness) Hart ( Shrewsbury ) Nigel Martyn ( St Austell, Cornwall ) Scott Carson ( Cleater Moor Cumbria ) Ben Foster ( leamington spa ) Paul Robinson ( Beverley near Hull) Chris Woods ( Boston Lincs) Fraser Foster ( Hexham , Northumberland ) Tim Flowers ( Kenilworth ) jack Butland ( Clevedon Bristol ) Tom Heaton ( chester ) Nick Pope ( Wicken, Cambridgeshire ) Do you think they were more multi sports than their outfield colleagues ?
The reference was http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamGkprs/GkprsChron.html and yes there are some from urban areas but nothing like the production of outfield players. So while Merseyside has produced some great outfield players but few GK's the same could be said for South London, East London, Essex and Greater Manchester
Looking elsewhere it's interesting that Van Der Saar grew up in a village near the coast and didn't leave his semi pro club until he was 20 years of age ; De Gea grew up in a small town near Toledo before joining Ath Madrid at 13/14 yrs of age and Casillas grew up in Bilabao before his family went back to Madrid
Some interviews below starting with Tony Carr, former West Ham Utd. Academy Director
Steve Heighway , former Liverpool FC Academy Director
Terry Burton, former Head Development Coach at Arsenal FC and Technical Director West Bromwich Albion FC
Alan Irvine , former Academy Director at Newcastle Utd and Everton FC
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