Want to get picked up by an academy or a professional club? Here's how. (9 to 16 year old). All the tips from a current academy player, at under 14s level.

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[edit] Steps

Check that you are the best player on your team, you don't want to get out shone by someone else. But don't just ask your mom or dad, they will say you are anyway. Ask the manager to give out an award for man of the match or just let the team know. If you start winning this often it's a clear sign that you are

Once you've established that your not a bad player ask your manager if he has any contacts from professional clubs, such as scouts. If so get him to ring them and come down to your next game. If not, get your manager to ring the league.
Make sure that your manager mentions your name to the scout/secretary. Get the scout to write your name down and ask him to approach the manager before the game starts to get an identification of you. Get him to tell the scout your shirt number(easiest way to recognise the player).
It's best to get a scout to come from a big club first as that is, i would imagine, your main aim.
If that's not possible try to get a lower league scout down, for example, in my area, Stockport, they are likely to take players on trials. Bolton are ideal to ask for if you live in the northwest of England as they take the majority of half decent players on trial to specail six weeks trails with other potential players
Once you have got a scout to come and watch you, you need to be prepared.
When it comes to game day, warm up properly, you don't want to be going off injured as, chances are the scouts are only likely to come to watch the same team play twice.
When you start playing, you must shout your head off for the ball. This is loved by scouts, it shows enthusiam and energy. Once you get on the ball, just keep it, stay calm. There's is nothing more unappealing to scouts than to see a player give the ball away constantly. Don't try and beat every player on the pitch, but if you can then it's a bonus!
Do what you normally do, but just twice as fast.
Dominate in the air, shout your name nice and early and go and win the ball
Don't be scared to shoot, it is seen as cowardice by scouts and coaches, but do pass it if there is someone in a better goalscoring position.
Do little things like checking your shoulder for players around you, like Paul Scholes does.
In your tackles, win the ball! When tackling, go through to ball and take the man, get both! This shows you are physically up for it.
Chances are, by half way through the second half you will be knackered. Don't be scared to tell your manager that and bring yourself off. Scouts would rather see someone give it their all for a short time than coast around for the whole game.
Good luck and you've gotta chance if you do half of this!

[edit] Tips

My dad always moans at me for this and i hate him for it but it works. Go to bed early, it gives you a fresh mind and helps relax muscles.
Have a bath the night before if you have done physical exercise that day, it gets rid of muscle tension.
The night before, have something like pasta or rice with chicken. (this is what we are given as a pre-match meal).
DON'T have a take away.
Take an energy drink to have whilst playing, eg. lucozade, make sures it's not the fizzy one though, that gives you a stitch which you don't want.
Do everything you do in the game like you normally do, but QUICKER!! that is the difference between all good and bad standards of football, we get told "the faster the better"
You will play at more intensity if you just fire your passes in harder and move the ball quicker