How to develop a football prodigy
More than the Score4 Marras 2025

How to develop a football prodigy

Some of the most exciting footballers in the world right now are still teenagers. Lamine Yamal has already won La Liga twice with Barcelona and the European Championship with Spain; 17-year-old Lennart Karl has scored in the Champions League and the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich; and Max Dowman has already made his Premier League debut for Arsenal, despite only being 15 years old.

But how do big clubs make sure their young talents fulfil their potential, both on and off the pitch? What are the signs that a teenager's ready to make the step up to first team football, and how do a club's staff help players who are still children face the challenges of a professional career?

Huw Jennings has spent more than 25 years working in youth development, as academy director at Southampton and now head of football development at Premier League side Fulham. In that time, he's worked with the likes of Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw, Theo Walcott and Adam Lallana; in his current role, he's also helped oversee the development of one of the Premier League's most exciting prospects, Josh King.

The BBC's Ed Harry and John Bennett talk to Huw about one of the biggest responsibilities in modern football. He explains how clubs develop players from childhood to adulthood, and the personal qualities that top clubs look for when assessing a young player's potential. He also shares his experiences of what happens when players don't make the grade - how can you support a teenager when things don't go to plan? And he also explains why 'wonderkid' isn't a term he's keen on using.

More than the Score is the BBC World Service's daily podcast exploring stories from all over the world of sport. Every Monday to Friday, we're telling stories beyond the scoreline, from tennis to football, boxing to bobsleigh, and rugby league to the NFL. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like pole vault titan Mondo Duplantis, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and tennis legend Boris Becker, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from top football scouts to physios who keep NBA stars in peak condition. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.

And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(227)

World Cup 2026: The refugee stars at the World Cup

World Cup 2026: The refugee stars at the World Cup

Nestory Irankunda, Antonio Rudiger and Alphonso Davies represented Australia, Germany and Canada respectively at the World Cup - and all have links to Africa as refugees.Germany defender Antonio Rudig...

13 Heinä 28min

A golden age of Italian tennis

A golden age of Italian tennis

Italy has six players inside the men's world top 50 including number one and four-time Grand Slam champion, Jannik Sinner.Jasmine Paolini is flying the flag on the women's side while Sara Errani - one...

12 Heinä 38min

World Cup 2026: Norway can surprise England - Olympic great Johannes Klaebo

World Cup 2026: Norway can surprise England - Olympic great Johannes Klaebo

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo wrote himself into Olympic history earlier this year, by breaking the all-time tally for gold medals won by a Winter Olympian. But this summer, he has been dividing his time b...

11 Heinä 17min

Ghostwriting: How to tell someone else's story

Ghostwriting: How to tell someone else's story

Athletes' memoirs and autobiographies are among the biggest-selling books around the world each year - but often, the words aren't entirely their own. Many sports stars work with 'ghostwriters' - prof...

11 Heinä 17min

World Cup 2026: Who’s put themselves in the shop window?

World Cup 2026: Who’s put themselves in the shop window?

Plenty of players have made names for themselves at this World Cup, from goalkeepers like Cape Verde’s Vozinha and Paraguay’s Orlando Gill to New Zealand midfielder Elijah Just. But though they might ...

10 Heinä 20min

World Cup 2026: Will there be a new name on the trophy?

World Cup 2026: Will there be a new name on the trophy?

We’re at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup and four of the eight teams involved have never won football's greatest prize.For Morocco to do so, they must first overcome two-time champions, Franc...

9 Heinä 27min

World Cup 2026: Soccer's growth in Trump's America

World Cup 2026: Soccer's growth in Trump's America

Lee James looks at whether co-hosting the men's Fifa World Cup will take football to another level in the United States. In many countries around the world, football is the major obsession - but the...

8 Heinä 49min

World Cup 2026: Can Vancouver hang on to its own team?

World Cup 2026: Can Vancouver hang on to its own team?

As Vancouver hosts the last of its seven games at World Cup 2026, the city now faces a battle to keep its own MLS team. The Vancouver Whitecaps are for sale and have been linked with a potential rel...

7 Heinä 20min

Suosittua kategoriassa Urheilu

junnut-pelissa
rss-piippuhylly
urheilun-varjoissa
kaiken-takana
hockey-night-podcast
runners-high-podcast
rss-kuninkuusluokka-f1-podcast
eturivi
kimanttia
unelmia-onkimassa
suomen-f1-podcast
ilen-ja-matin-urheiluohjelma
rss-napit-edella
rss-kuralappa-asiaa-gravel-ja-maastopyorailysta
rss-235-podcast
rss-oisko-betaa
rss-padelpodi