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.
| Full name | Nike Academy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Academy | ||
| Founded | 2009 | ||
| Ground | St George's Park Burton upon Trent, England | ||
| Capacity | 3,100[1] | ||
| League | Friendlies | ||
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The programme was also known for its collaborations with top class professional players, including Sami Khedira, Joe Hart, Rio Ferdinand, 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.
The Academy regularly played teams like FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Manchester United and others.
The Academy closed at the end of the 2016–17 season.[3]
Technical staff
| Name | Role[4] |
|---|---|
 | Head coach |
| Assistant coach |
 | Jugador Destacado |
 | Jugador 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.
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References
- "Stadium launch: Loughborough University FC v Tottenham Hotspur U18s". Loughborough Football on Facebook. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
- https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/mar/20/barcelona-nike-fc-football-future
- "WHY DID THE NIKE ACADEMY CLOSE?". Youtube. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- NikeAcademy.com
