VIDEO: EFL Academy footballers get a taste of student-athlete life during inspirational pre-season training camps at University of Bath
Young players from four English Football League (EFL) clubs have benefited from pre-season training camps at the University of Bath’s elite sporting facilities – and got to experience a potential post-Academy student-athlete career.
The U18 squads from Crewe Alexandra, Grimsby Town, Huddersfield Town and Millwall each spent a week in campus accommodation while training at the University’s Sports Training Village as part of their preparations for the 2025-26 season.
As well as train and play friendlies on the outdoor pitches, the footballers got to do strength and conditioning in the Team Bath Gym, work on their core strength and flexibility in yoga classes with Frank Davis, experience post-match recovery sessions in the hydro pool, enjoy multi-sport activities on the basketball and tennis courts, and hear from aspiring Winter Olympians on the British Skeleton programme about their sporting journeys.
They were also given tours of the campus and met Head of Football Che Wilson, who outlined the University’s student football programme and how it allows young players who have left professional Academies to continue in high-level football while pursuing an academic career.
The visits are part of a programme put together in association with the EFL by Jess Clements, Sports Development Manager at the University of Bath, and there are plans to expand it to include more teams next summer.
She explained: “When players get to the end of their two years in Academy football, many of them are released and that is potentially the end of their football career. What we’re trying to do through this programme is show how they can continue their careers in football and education at a high level.
“The teams had access to all our facilities and stayed in student accommodation, so it has really given them an immersive experience of what it’s like to be a student-athlete here at Bath. We hope it has planted the seed that, if they do get released, there is a future in both education and the football they’ve spent so much time training for.”
Neil Woods, Academy Manager at Grimsby Town, added: “Football is very good nowadays at providing a back-up plan for the young lads but this has given them another insight into how they can still play elite football even if it’s not at the professional level.
“If I broke down everything we’ve done during our visit I’d be talking for a long time but we’ve had some great experiences, access to fantastic facilities and great support from everybody at the University of Bath. It has given the lads a real insight into professional sport and been inspiring and motivational for everyone.”
Find out more about combining football and education at the University of Bath by visiting teambath.com/football.
