Training Ground Guru '25 at Old Trafford

This week CCC attended the Training Ground Guru conference at Old Trafford — centred around the latest high-performance trends in football.

It represented a fantastic opportunity to learn from and connect with CEOs, coaches and sporting directors working across the game.

It was fitting to hear from Manchester United alumni including Ryan Giggs and Phil Jones, current goalkeeper Tom Heaton and former first-team fitness coach Tony Strudwick — among a range of other excellent speakers.

The observable tactical, technical and physical aspects of player development are well-serviced from a data perspective.

Tracking technologies, such as GPS and in-ball sensors, are commonplace and AI-powered platforms can now generate detailed performance reports within seconds.

However, the unobservable psychological pillar of player performance has far fewer available measurement metrics - there remains scope for growth in this area. 

The football industry must be careful not to overwhelm players with excessive data and anxiety-inducing monitoring, while neglecting the human being behind the player.

CCC recently launched its new agency services and differentiates itself through its unique blend of finance, business and coaching expertise — prioritising player wellbeing and long-term development.

This event provided the perfect opportunity to share CCC’s new agency proposition with a range of stakeholders within the game and gather valuable feedback.

Well done to Simon Austin on organising this great event — we look forward to returning in future.