Focusing on Elite Youth Training: Professional Youth Training Exchange Between China and England

Reported by Chen Yong From November 5 to 7, the "2025 China-England Professional Football Youth Training Exchange," co-hosted by the Chinese Football Association and the English Premier League, took place in Haikou. Six foreign experts from the Premier League alliance and clubs, together with Chen Qingyun from the CFA Youth Department, Ma Baogang, Training Director of Shandong Taishan, and Kawahé Manabu, Youth Training Director of Meizhou Hakka, introduced innovative ideas and practical insights. Over 130 participants from 52 clubs in the third-tier leagues, including youth training leaders and related representatives, attended the exchange. Both sides were represented by CFA Chairman Li Kemin, Vice Chairman Yang Xu, and Li Jiaming, Managing Director of the EPL China region, among others.

Ed Wahid, Head of Youth Training Operations at the Premier League, opened with a presentation titled "Elite Player Performance Program: Insights from Premier League Elite Player Development." After outlining the Premier League youth training system, Wahid focused on player development pathways, welfare responsibilities, and team building. He covered aspects such as player registration periods, training duration, family proximity, and performance at professional and semi-professional stages for players from U9 to U21. Special emphasis was placed on the welfare responsibilities toward players who leave the youth system (those who are released).

On the 5th, the Premier League expert team and Yu Dabao observed the U15 league match between Meizhou Hakka and Zhejiang, as well as the high-level clash between Evergrande Football School and Shanghai Shenhua. During the match observation sharing, Arsenal’s U9-U16 youth training performance coach Tom John commented, "Fifteen days with seven matches is very rare in the UK because it increases injury risk, but I was impressed that players maintained good fitness and energy throughout the dense schedule." Ed was impressed by the players' talent and skills and their responses during different match phases. Brighton’s Head of Coach Development, Ben Smith, noticed that players were very obedient to coaches: "This works short-term, but coaches should relax more and give players decision-making power on the pitch. This is not about right or wrong but about developing their decision-making abilities." Regarding players' psychological performance, Sunderland Youth Training Manager Robin Nichols noted the players’ strong discipline: "I also observed that communication among players was more tactical and technical rather than emotional; they behaved very rationally."

Kawahé Manabu, Youth Training Director of Meizhou Hakka, shared "Seven Years of Work at Meizhou Hakka: Training Centered on Observation and Judgment," emphasizing that observation and judgment are core to Japanese football tactics. He specifically pointed out that Chinese players generally lack physical fitness, such as improper running posture, lack of flexibility, and poor body control, which he has been striving to improve for a long time. Ma Baogang, Training Director of Shandong Taishan, introduced Shandong Taishan’s integrated youth training strategy, stating that the core goal is to develop top players by enhancing tactical effectiveness. He also highlighted the role of outstanding retired players within the youth training system.

In a joint presentation titled "Leading an Elite Youth Training Club," Ed, Robin, and Arsenal Youth Training Manager Per Mertesacker exchanged ideas, with Per and Robin each describing their clubs’ elite player development models. Two coaching directors, Premier League Coaching Director Sean Reid and Brighton’s Head of Coach Development Ben, gave a joint talk titled "Talent is Our Competitive Advantage: Developing Coaches." The presentation explained that Brighton has two youth training directors and four youth training managers, along with specialized coaches for ball control, positioning, and individual skills, reflecting a detailed and diversified coaching system.

Tom shared "Growth and Maturity: Factors Influencing Long-Term Athletic Development and Talent Identification," focusing on how player growth affects football youth training. Sean, Ed, and Per presented jointly on "Bridging the Gap Between Youth Teams and First Teams," discussing the transition from youth to professional players. Their data showed that Premier League transfer fees are mainly concentrated on players aged 21 to 27, with a sharp decline after 29. For example, in the 2025 summer transfer window, transfer fees for 29-year-old players were only 0.8% of those for 26-year-olds and 1.2% of those for 21-year-olds.

During this exchange, whether in individual keynote speeches or joint presentations, interactive discussions between Chinese and foreign participants were arranged. These interactions often extended beyond scheduled times, demonstrating the enthusiasm and commitment of Chinese professional club youth training teams. The exchange also included group discussions with summarized results displayed to help Chinese youth training directors and coaches gain a deeper understanding of professional youth training development.

During the China-England professional youth training exchange, both Chinese club representatives and English experts reflected on China’s nearly fully tournament-based competition system: "Seven matches in 15 days leave everyone very tired by the second or third game, which poses risks and, more importantly, sacrifices the future. The UK also has similar tournaments, but the timing is different, and there are more opponents, allowing exposure to a wider variety of playing styles."