SUNDERLAND AFC ACADEMY Information on everything relating to latest football trial opportunities. Includes the academy contact, process of applying for possible academy opportunities and trials procedure, scholarship availability and your chances on joining this academy. Improve your football progression - Register on our website today!
SUNDERLAND Academy ratings, reviews, trial opportunity stats, staff ratings & more....
Academy Overall 8/10; Academy Staff 8/10; Academy Players 7.5/10; Facilities 8/10; Academy Status Catagory 2; Academy Ages U6 to U23+; Community U6-U8; Foundation U9-U12; Youth Development U13-U16; Scholarships Age 15 to 19; Professionals Players from Age 16+; Gifted/Talented Trials Opportunities - Seasonal; Academy Scouts, Staff 40+; Academy Players 200+; Overseas Trials Opportunities - TBA; Trial Chance Score 66%; Accept player CV - Yes; Formal trials procedure & contact provided - Yes; Website access gives you over 100 trials and 1000 clubs
Sunderland Football Club, with its rich history and commitment to youth development, offers a clear pathway for young talents aspiring to become professional footballers. The club's Academy of Light is a state-of-the-art facility, boasting Category One status under the Elite Player Performance Plan, which is the highest level possible in the UK. This reflects the club's dedication to nurturing young players, providing them with top-class facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, medical care, and both indoor and outdoor pitches.
The academy is not just about football; it emphasizes the holistic development of its players, ensuring they grow academically and socially. The educational component is taken seriously, with full-time scholars embarking on an Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence, which includes a Level 3 NVQ Diploma and a BTEC Level 3 in Sport. This approach aligns with the club's belief in lifelong learning and the importance of a supportive environment where players can experiment, make errors, and express themselves. Trials at Sunderland FC are a gateway for talented individuals to showcase their skills and potentially join the ranks of this prestigious academy. These trials are conducted regularly and are designed to be inclusive, allowing players of all abilities to participate. The club's scouting network is always on the lookout for emerging talents, and the trials are a perfect opportunity for young footballers to get noticed. For those interested in the women's game, the Sunderland Emerging Talent Centre, part of the FA's initiative to make the game more diverse and inclusive, offers a structured player pathway starting from Wildcats sessions to the Player Development Programme.
The centre runs for 30 weeks over the season and includes matches and a festival, complementing grassroots team play with additional high-quality training. Sunderland AFC Women also runs a Professional Game Academy for 16-21-year-olds, further highlighting the club's commitment to developing female football talent. With such comprehensive programs and facilities, Sunderland FC continues to be a beacon of opportunity for young footballers in England and beyond. For more information on trials and the academy, interested parties can visit the Foundation of Light website or the official club guide.
For those looking to join the Sunderland FC football academy, the club offers a structured pathway for young talent to develop their skills and potentially progress to professional levels. The academy conducts trials, providing opportunities for aspiring footballers to demonstrate their abilities. Interested individuals can contact the academy for trial information and registration details. The official Sunderland AFC website provides contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses for inquiries. Additionally, the Foundation of Light, associated with Sunderland AFC, offers various programs and courses for different age groups and may also have information on trials and talent development initiatives. It's advisable to reach out directly to the academy or visit the official Sunderland AFC website for the most current and detailed information regarding trials and contacts.
Sunderland Foundation Football Trials
BOYS SCHOLARSHIP TRIALS In Year 11? Interested in studying while playing football next year Come along to our trial to earn your place in the squad Book your place
Below is evidence Sunderland FC Official Academy follow Tony's Soccer School on Twitter and Tag us in to promote their football trials.
Sunderland AFC Official Scholarship social media account follows us on social media and tags us and asks us to promote certain media posts about it football scholarships. Whilst it does not endorse us or do we have official affiliation to Sunderland, it goes a long way to showing we are held in high esteem and respect to help promote scholarships and football trials to our members.
Sunderland Football Academy
Sunderland Road
Cleadon
SR6 7UN
The club’s Academy of Light opened its doors in 2003 and is rightly considered amongst the best football training facilities in Europe.
The club’s players have access to magnificent facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, top-class medical care and an indoor barn featuring a 4G synthetic pitch as well as up to 18 outdoor pitches.
The low-profile buildings are deceptive – the lower floor is completely below ground level and packs in more than can be imagined from the outside!
It’s a far cry from the club’s previous training ground, the Charlie Hurley Centre, which was made up of temporary buildings including an old cricket pavilion.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The Academy aims to be professional, approachable and friendly and will give young players the best chance to develop on the pitch as well as socially and academically.
We have a responsibility to develop young players in a challenging, safe and supportive environment with committed and experienced members of staff.
We strive to create an environment where developing players are encouraged to experiment, make errors and express themselves.
A system is in place which allows young players to progress to the first-team squad if they are prepared to work hard, be open-minded and stay committed.
Players will be treated fairly and will receive advice and feedback as part of a holistic approach which will produce young men and footballers we can all be proud of.
The educational development of every young footballer is a key part of Academy life, and we take our commitment to education seriously.
We firmly believe in lifelong learning and the holistic development of every Academy player.
This, together with our opinion that success is a journey not a destination, forms the foundation of our mission statement.
All full-time scholars embark on an Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE). The apprenticeship is comprised of a Level 3 NVQ Diploma plus an educational component.
Most scholars will study for a BTEC Level 3 in Sport as part of their education and this is equivalent to two A-Levels.
The scholars also graduate from the Academy, whether to the professional game or elsewhere, with a referee’s qualification and an FA Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football.
The Academy is home to all the club’s representative teams, from the youngest age groups through to the U18, U21 and senior squads as well as the Sunderland Ladies team.
Send a full players CV for trials to
Academy Manager
Sunderland AFC
Stadium of Light
Sunderland
SR5 1SU
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FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS REGISTERED. All registered players with Tony's Soccer School, who are seeking or attended
or playing at the same level, Ability and Location as this Club.
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FOOTBALL LEAGUE YOUTH & ACADEMY
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FOOTBALL LEAGUE ACADEMY
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HOME VENUE
This Academy is developed in order to invest in upcoming footballing talent and provide the network, coaching, health and lifestyle advice that each player needs to make a successful career in football. If you are looking for a career in football, and live in this academy catchment, then your best chance will be to join the Academy.
About this Academy
This Academy offer an advanced football development and education programme supported by expert and dedicated staff.
This Academy is located at:
This clubs Academy use advanced technology and coaching methods to develop their players. They are actively looking for upcoming talent to join their academy, and are very selective about who gets in, as competition is tough.
With the changes that have taken place in the football academy system. Academy Category three clubs are now free (U12+) to recruit from all over the nation.
Previously, Category three clubs could only recruit talent within a 90 minute travelling time to the academy, but the FA have reconsidered this following thinking that the best talent should only fairly be allowed to play in the best academies even if they do not live nearby. This gives the very best talent the very best chances of success, thus growing our home grown talent for the international stage.
This has seen a rise in host families being recruited here, to help house young promising talent in safe family environments.
Upcoming Fixtures
We have a whole programme of upcoming activities, fixtures and events. Check the times of each match or look up the match venue for any of the Academy age groups.
How to get a trial at this team
You must be selected to have a trial at this club, so it is important that players are spotted in the right places at the right times. For some players, they prefer a direct approach sending in links to videos of themselves playing football, but it is worth bearing in mind that clubs receive thousands of these videos each week and simply don’t have time to watch them all and go about their daily business, so the most effective way of getting scouted for a trial at this club is to join. Scouts regularly select young players from soccer school sessions and invite them to trial at the development centres, and anyone can play in their soccer schools so it offers an open door for all to get spotted.
It is also particularly good planning to take your child to soccer schools as soon as they are old enough, as their competition will be doing the same, so it enables them to develop their talents in line with the same level as their peers.
How to get scouted by a scout
scouts offer players the chance to trial. Many players are lucky enough to find themselves in the right places when scouts are watching games, but we are also very aware that good talent can slip through the net, so do offer players the chances to directly contact them with the below details.
Understandably they are unable to respond to everybody due to the volume of applications, but this does serve as an effective way to alert scouts about talent looking to take their football to the next level and secure a trial
To get scouted for a trial simply collect the following information:
- Players CV
- Covering Letter
- Players Vital Statistics: Players position, Age, Date of Birth, Height, Weight, contact email/phone/address, current club, previous clubs, detail of any trials already attended, any representative honours such as school, districts, county etc
- Players school they attend
- Fixture list of your current team, including location and kick off time to be passed to scout
Once you have collated all of the above information, email
will assess your application and decide whether or not to send a scout to watch the game.
Syllabus
The training programme at this Academy is broken into technical and tactical training, with a special module for Goalkeepers. The below demonstrates:
- The professional development phase
- The youth development phase
- The foundation phase
- The youth / professional development phase
- The foundation development goalkeeper phase
Professional Development Phase
Outfield Players – Technical
- Passing – Playing forwards through tight passing channels
- Receiving the ball – Receiving the ball in the air to pass in the least number of touches
- Passing – Generic passing practises to move the ball on two touches
- Running / Dribbling with the ball – Developing the 1st touch to break through a variation of receiving surfaces
- Running / Dribbling with the ball – Variations in the dribble to advance in 1 v 1’s
- Shooting – Shifting the ball to get shots off under pressure
- Passing – Keeping the ball moving for a long period of time
- Manipulating the ball – Shifting the ball across the body with a variation of surfaces
- Turning – Turning away from pressure and protecting possession of the ball
Outfield Players – Tactical
- Possession (Playing out from the back) – Midfield rotation to receive high and low open up passing channels
- Possession (Retaining the ball to penetrate) – Working in front or behind opponents to retain the ball looking to play forwards
- Possession (Game management) – Playing with and against an overload (the extra man)
- Attacking (Counter attacking) – Breaking from the defending third
- Attacking (Centrally) – Playing between lines and breaking lines with and without the ball
- Attacking (Wide areas) – 1 v 1’s, 2 v 2’s to create goalkeeping opportunities
- Defending (Individual) – Approach to the ball dependent on the opposition and area of the pitch
- Defending (Groups & Units) – Defending later and deeper
- Defending (Making play predictable, Regains and Possession Decision) – Pressure as the team/group hunting the ball for quick regain
Goalkeepers
- Goalkeeper support – Variety of passes and support for players in possession
- Goalkeeper support – Awareness of best option looking to penetrate with distribution
- Goalkeeper support – How the goalkeeper can affect the state of the game
- Goalkeeper defending – How to deal with 1 v 1 situations in game situations
- Goalkeeper defending – Early shots always being set in and around the box
- Goalkeeper defending – Positioning and decision making in dealing with the cross
- Goalkeeper communications – Organisation and support to the defender
- Goalkeeper communications – Communications to players away from the ball
- Goalkeeper communications – Developing the goalkeeper to compact
Foundation Phase
Outfield Players – Technical
- Protecting the Ball – Setting the scene for receiving on the safe side – guidelines for success
- Passing – Short, quick and high tempo passing in small groups
- Receiving the Ball- Developing the set as part of link play to move the ball forwards
- Turning – Developing turns under passive pressure to include disguise
- Shooting – Longer distance shooting relevant to the age of the group
- Running / Dribbling With the Ball – Long and thin practices to practice breaking into space from a dribble or receiving the ball
- Shooting – One touch finishing around the goal on angles with pressure approaching
- Passing – Passing within larger areas focusing on techniques to a longer pass (floor / aerially)
- Manipulating the Ball – Quick foot movements to manipulate a small skills ball
Outfield Players – Tactical
- Possession (Individual) – Developing players to receive the ball and maintain possession on their safe side
- Possession (Group Play) – Develop players to receive and play away from pressure in small groups
- Possession (Directional) – Possession / wave practises maintaining the speed of the ball from start to finish
- Attacking (Individual) – Changes of direction and speed to beat opponents
- Attacking (Groups) – Small group attacking practices (4v4, 5v5). Movement/combinations to create and exploit space
- Attacking (with/against overloads) – Small sided games working on creating and exploiting space on the transition
- Defending (Pressure the Ball) – Basic principles to approaching a player in possession
- Defending (Small Groups) – Possession based practices focusing the change of roles based on the movement of the ball
- Defending (Regaining to Play) – Regaining the ball and countering to a scoring conclusion
Goalkeepers
- Goalkeeper support – Passes and throws to start play
- Goalkeeper support – Choosing the best distribution option
- Goalkeeper support – Using the ball quickly after making a save
- Goalkeeper defending – Throw ball situations and close range shots
- Goalkeeper defending – Attacking the ball and parrying away to safe areas
- Goalkeeper defending – Making recovery saves within the game
- Goalkeeper communications – To defenders individually and as part of a unit
- Goalkeeper communications – Developing the ability to be clear and concise
- Goalkeeper communications – Start positions in relation to the ball
Goalkeeper Youth / Professional Phase
Goalkeepers – Technical
- Distribution – Out of the back to the best option and supporting the play
- Crossing – Dealing with deep crosses into the 18 yard box and transition to distribute
- Shot Stopping – Into line and down the line of the ball for angled strike
- Handling – Dealing with low balls around the set position inclusive of the 1v1 encounter
- Shot Stopping – Dealing with low, medium and high dives from a central and angled strike
- Crossing – Dealing with crosses centrally and to front post areas
- Shot Stopping – Dealing with close reaction shots, double and triple saves
- Distribution – Technique of starting counter attacks, choice of delivery
- Crosses – Dealing with crosses centrally and to the back post area
Goalkeepers – Tactical
- Goalkeeper support – Start play using a variety of passes and providing angles for support for players in possession
- Goalkeeper support – Awareness of best option looking to penetrate with distribution
- Goalkeeper support – Managing the game and understanding how the goalkeeper can affect the state of the game
- Goalkeeper defending – Dealing with 1v1 game situations
- Goalkeeper defending – Dealing with early shots always being set in and around the box
- Goalkeeper defending – Positioning in relation to the ball, decision making on dealing with the cross
- Goalkeeper communications – Organisation and support to the defender (clear and concise information)
- Goalkeeper communications – Communications to players away from the ball
- Goalkeeper communications – Developing the goalkeeper to compact play through the line taken by the defending players
Goalkeeper Foundation Phase
Goalkeepers – Technical
- Handling – Footwork set in position with a variation of serves
- Distribution – Playing out from the back from feet and hands, providing angels of support
- Handling – Variation of handling practices concluding with penetrative distribution
- Shot Stopping – Dealing with 1v1 encounter
- Shot Stopping – Low, medium and high diving sales from central
- Distribution – Technique of longer distribution for feet and hands (classic counter attacks)
- Shot Stopping – Speed of movement across the goal in the line down the line of the ball for an angled strike
- Handling – Technique of dealing with low balls in and around the body
- Crossing – Basic technique and positioning (in relation to the ball) covering balls into front middle far areas
Goalkeepers – Tactical
- Goalkeeper support – Using a variety of passes and throws to start play
- Goalkeeper support – Choosing the best distribution option
- Goalkeeper support – Using the ball quickly after making a save
- Goalkeeper defending – Dealing with through ball situations and learning how to deal with cross range shots
- Goalkeeper defending – Attacking the ball and parrying away to safe areas in game situations
- Goalkeeper defending – Making recovery saves within the game
- Goalkeeper communications – Communication to defenders individually and as a unit
- Goalkeeper communications – Developing the ability to be clear and concise
- Goalkeeper communications – Set positions in relation to the ball
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For direct communication with the club, you can visit the Website