PhD StudentshipMiddlesbrough FC

Mapping Physical Development Pathways in Academy Soccer Players Using Maturation-Sensitive Profiling

• Deadline: 25/08/2026 5:00PM
• Studentship code:
• Staff name: Dr Jonathan Taylor
• Research centre: Centre for Rehabilitation
• Start date: The successful candidate will start in October 2026.

This PhD studentship involves collaborating with Middlesbrough Football Club. The Club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The Club's Academy is a Category One Academy and was introduced in 2012 as part of the Elite Player Performance Plan to ensure the Club’s continued support for young players.

Long-term athlete development (LTAD) models propose that athletes’ physical capacities should be developed through systematic, progressive exposure to training load across childhood and adolescence (Ford et al., 2011). Within professional soccer academies, the overarching objective is to develop players capable of transitioning successfully to first-team football through an integrated, multi-disciplinary development system. Physical profiling and longitudinal monitoring are therefore widely used to track player development and inform training and selection decisions over time.

A critical consideration in youth soccer (approximately 12–18 years) is maturation. Periods of rapid growth are associated with both altered physical performance characteristics and elevated injury risk (Myer et al., 2011). Crucially, maturation-related variation can confound the interpretation of physical testing outcomes, influence training prescription, player retention, and talent identification processes, if not appropriately accounted for.

Advances in applied sport science technologies have greatly increased the volume and availability of physical performance data within academy environments. Specifically, the use of new/improved technology to assess key physical components such as speed, strength, power and aerobic fitness, such as advance tracking systems, force plates, fixed-frame dynamometry, and contemporary testing/screening techniques (including S-MAS, locomotor profiling) allows practitioners and their respective clubs to gain unprecedented insight. However, while this offers opportunities to better understand individual development pathways, it also presents challenges regarding the selection, interpretation, and practical application of meaningful metrics across different stages of maturation.
This PhD project will investigate the application of longitudinal physical profiling, with a particular focus on the role of biological maturation in interpreting performance data. Specifically, the project aims to:

1. Evaluate contemporary physical profiling and testing strategies used in academy soccer.

2. Examine how maturation status influences the interpretation of physical performance data across adolescence.

3. Develop evidence-informed approaches to mapping individual player development trajectories using longitudinal physical testing data.

The project will involve a range of physiological/biomechanical testing and monitoring techniques, using field-based testing/monitoring equipment as determined by Middlesbrough football Club.

This studentship will be full-time and primarily based at Middlesbrough Football Club, embedded within the Science and Medicine department for approximately 20-hours per week.

Funding eligibility

This fully funded PhD Studentship covers tuition fees for the period of a full-time PhD Registration of up to four years and provides an annual tax-free stipend of £21,805 for three years, subject to satisfactory progress. This studentship is only open to applicants who will pay UK fees.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a good honours degree (2:1 or above) in a relevant discipline.

A master's level qualification in a relevant discipline is desirable, but not essential, as well as a demonstrable understanding of the research area.

Experience of working with highly trained athletes and an interest in soccer and an understanding of the Premier League Academy Elite Player Performance Plan would be highly beneficial. Vocational qualifications related to athletic development or a desire to work towards would also be highly beneficial. Good communication and inter-personal skills that allow the development of effective working relationships within a multi-disciplinary team are essential. Experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods would also be highly desirable. A full driving license is essential given the multi-centred nature of the studentship.