From a well-rounded education to protecting players’ mental wellbeing, Crystal Palace’s Academy is fully aware of the responsibility it has to its aspiring crop of talented youngsters across all age groups outside of becoming footballers.
This is why Head of Academy Performance Analysis and Under-18 Analyst, Dougie Wright, begins our chat with: “Everyone has their role in the development of these players.”
No one understands that better than Dougie, who was offered his first steps in football analytics by Academy Director Gary Issott after coming to the end of his scholarship with the Eagles - a club he joined at Under-13s level.