One UCFB student is helping to unearth the stars of the future as part of his incredible part-time role working for Premier League side Burnley FC.
Josh Arnold, a BA (Hons) Sports Business & Coaching student at the UCFB Etihad Campus, has spent the last three months, and will be spending the rest of the season, working in the roles of Academy Performance Analysis and Academy Youth Scout at the club.
In his analyst role, Josh films the academy team matches before editing short clips and giving them to the coaches for use in training sessions. The role of an analyst at football clubs has become increasingly important in recent years in helping players and coaches identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Alongside this, Josh also has a contract with Burnley as a Youth Scout for the academy, where he visits towns in the North West of England identifying young talent.
Josh said: “This role is crucial for the club’s future successes, and is fantastic for myself as I have the challenge of finding the best youth players in the North West, and competing against clubs to sign them. I hope to continue this role after UCFB, as I am currently loving the challenge.”
Students at UCFB are told that gaining contacts in the football and sport industry is a vital part of studying for their degree. Josh took this advice seriously and was able to get his foot in the door at Burnley after speaking with the club’s psychologist Jen Lace, who’s also a lecturer at UCFB.
Josh added: “UCFB has opened me up to these opportunities that I would not otherwise have found. I feel a crucial part of gaining opportunities is the contacts that I have gained, and the constant networking. Without Jen, I would have been unlikely to find a position in a Premier League club.”
