Lees het transcript:
The Elite Player Performance Plan was introduced 5 years ago by the Premier League. The aim is to put some structure into youth development.
It since swallowed up £400 million. It’s going to swallow up another £400 million by 2020.
It is a huge amount of money. We’re talking about nearly £1 billion being invested in that area.
In my view, they have gone too far. It's very bureaucratic. A lot of coaches complain they spend more time in front of their computer inputting data than they actually do getting grass on their boots and working with the boys under their charge.
For my point of view, it's an academic, bloodless exercise, and it actually takes away some of the imagination and the instinct that you need to succeed.
If you look across sport, the best systems are balanced. I think the EP3, to give it a straight name, is actually too balanced in favour of academia and the whole idea of "everything must be measured."
You can't measure heart, mentality, and attitude.
The Elite Player Performance Plan was introduced in 2012 and works across three faces: Foundation (Under-9 to Under-11), Youth Development (Under-12 to Uunder-16), and Professional Development (Under-17 to Under-21).
It hosts around 6,000 matches a year including competitions, festival, and tournaments. It is also responsible for the formal education of all players aged 16-19, as well as offering development programmes for coaches.
Business Insider UK contacted the Football Association. A spokesperson declined to comment further on the story.
Produced by Claudia Romeo. Filmed by David Ibekwe.