Nike Academy

The Nike Football Academy was an English football academy funded and administered by Nike, Inc.. The academy had a revolving squad of unsigned under-20 players and was run with the intention of helping them find a professional club. The academy was based at St George's Park National Football Centre.[2] The squad was made up of players scouted worldwide and drafted to the squad through Nike Most Wanted trials. Over 50 players have gone on to play professional football over the years. The programme was led by Manager Jon Goodman, with former Wolverhampton Wanderers player Matt Murray who worked as Assistant Manager.[3]

Nike Academy
Nickname(s)The Academy
Founded2009
Dissolved2017 (2017)
GroundSt George's Park
Burton upon Trent, England
Capacity3,100[1]
LeagueFriendlies

The programme was also known for its collaborations with top class professional players, including Sami Khedira, Joe Hart, Rio Ferdinand, Mahir Emreli, Francesco Totti, Mario Gotze and others. Players such as David Accam, Tom Rogic, Majeed Waris, Petar Golubovic and Kevin Salazar are graduates of the programme.[4]

The Academy regularly played exhibition matches facing teams like FC Barcelona,[5] Arsenal,[6] Inter Milan,[7] Manchester United and others.

The Academy closed at the end of the 2016–17 season.[8]

Technical staff
NameRole[9]
Jon GoodmanHead coach
Matt MurrayAssistant coach
Mikel ŠutejStrength and Conditioning coach
Jesus VazquezJugador Destacado
Paulo SalazarJugador Destacado

Notable participants

Players who participated in Nike's The Chance, or played for the Nike Academy who have gone on to play in a professional league or competition. Players in bold have full international caps.

References
  1. "Stadium launch: Loughborough University FC v Tottenham Hotspur U18s". Loughborough Football on Facebook. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/mar/20/barcelona-nike-fc-football-future
  3. Inside the Nike Academy: the branded alternative for reaching the big time on The Guardian
  4. Barcelona 0-3 Nike FC: is this a glimpse of football’s future? by Barney Ronay on Ghe Guardian
  5. Nike Academy vs FC Barcelona, 24 Feb 2015
  6. The Arsenal test by Huw Davies on Four Four Two, February 08, 2012
  7. Nike Academy vs Inter
  8. "WHY DID THE NIKE ACADEMY CLOSE?". Youtube. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  9. NikeAcademy.com

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