Be specific Training should be tailored to different positions, according to Mark Howard, head of fitness at Blackburn Rovers. “For example, a central midfielder often plays in quite a small area, but does lots of short, sharp changes of direction. A winger might be doing longer, explosive sprints of 30-40m, then jogging back, and a goalie will be jumping explosively.”
Remember your behind Injuries often arise from imbalances in the body. “When doing strength work, don’t forget the posterior chain muscles you can’t see in the mirror – back, hamstrings, glutes etc,” Howard says.
Drink water Staying hydrated keeps up standards. “Becoming just a little dehydrated affects performance,” Howard says, “so drink plenty of water before and during the game. As for food, you should load up on carbohydrate in the few days before a match to give your muscles a sufficient energy store. Eating it on match day is too late.”
Stretch out Good flexibility is vital for injury prevention. “Before a match, we do dynamic stretching, which mimics the movements you perform on the pitch such as rotations and lunges. Static stretches are for afterwards, when the muscles are warm, to begin the recovery process. Pilates and yoga can be beneficial for footballers, as they build essential core stability.”
Be agile A good endurance base is vital, “but we also do a lot of work on agility,” Howard says. “Players need to accelerate, stop and change direction without losing momentum. It’s strength in the legs that allows this, so do drills such as laying out cones and making players run between them at speed, stopping to touch each one.”
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