Many scouts tell us that when the majority of our trialists are invited into a club for a pro trial they are not as physically fit as the players in the academy. No matter how good or bad you are at football, there is no excuse for not being fit. Provided you have a decent training regime, anyone can get physically fit. Are you as fit as you possibly could be? If you did those extra 28 hours of training in the next month, do you think your times and stats would improve? If you think they would, then start today. Don’t put it off, saying I will start next week. Get fitter and stronger! Core strength is vital as we will show - sit ups, press ups, doing ‘the plank’. Then there is the running. Sprints, bleep tests, speed endurance. Keep working hard on all these. Coaches and scouts love it when they see a player with tremendous stamina, and who demonstrates they “have a good engine”. 

Then there is the more technical side of the game. Work on your first touch and ball mastery. There are loads of examples on line for you to follow. For example, kick the ball against a wall with alternate feet and control it with alternate feet. Practise using different parts of your feet, from different distances away. Even a short amount of time spent on simple drills like this and we guarantee you will notice the difference very quickly in a match situation. Suddenly you will have more time on the ball, because your first touch is improved, and passing off your wrong foot is not such a problem! 

What about the tactical side of your game? Is that as good as it could be? Regardless of your position, when you watch MOTD, watch how the greats of the premier league play the game in your position. Instead of watching the ball and play in the usual way, try just watching the individual players as far as you can. Watch how they position themselves and organise. Look at their awareness. Look at the way they communicate.  

Watch and learn about what the pundits have to say about the way a team sets itself up. What is the formation? 4:4:2 or 4:3:3 or 3:2:2:3? See how these different formations work, and find yourself growing in knowledge as an astute observer of the game. Discuss this with your mates. Get the opinion of your coach and ask relevant questions. If he is half decent, he will respond to your genuine request for knowledge and prove a big help. 

Finally look at the mental side of the game, and start to get stronger mentally. Work on your own mental strength, so it doesn’t let you down in a match situation. 

So, if you decide to make a bit of extra time to work on your game, there is plenty for you to be working on. Physical. Technical. Tactical. Mental. These are all pieces of the jigsaw that when it is complete will make you into a professional footballer. No-one has seen the thousands of hours the pros have practiced to become the players that you watch every week. No-one was there to say well done to them. They were just driven by their determination. They don’t look so glamourous when they work for an hour in the pouring rain practicing crosses, but how else do you think they get so good at it? No-one asks for their autograph when they are in the gym improving their core strength with the sweat pouring off them. The top players were (and still are) prepared to put in the hours, but are you? 

Have a think about how you spend your time and how badly you want to be a pro. Are you prepared to make the sacrifices and dedicate yourself to your chosen profession? If you are, then good for you, and understand you are giving yourself the best possible chance of fulfilling your football potential.