They work in the shadows, away from prying eyes. They're the unseen army Premier League clubs are enlisting in pursuit of glory: the analysts, statisticians, scientists and ... surfers? Bobsledders?
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Welcome to the world of the specialist coaches. These high-performance experts have a unique understanding of their field, and tap away on an iPad before whispering classified information into the manager's ear. They're not your traditional football coaches, all bluster, banter and bold tattoos. They're data nerds, and proud of it. They're the guys you see in the dugout with initials on their club tracksuit that you can't connect to a name.