Introduction

Football is the most watched sport in the world. Millions of fans view every top-tier club match throughout the length and breadth of the world. People are glued to TV screens on such occasions, as fans are too passionate about the game. At the same time, millions of boys and girls dream of making a career in football. They dream of playing alongside the heroes they see on their TV screens. However, playing at the highest level requires serious potential and hard work. Along With it, one must also understand the process of becoming a professional footballer one day. Football trials once used to be the town’s norm, and clubs held trials on a monthly and annual basis to look for new talent.

Football trials used to be the way clubs and teams discovered new potential. However, trials or talent days, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly infrequent. Clubs and groups now rely on a network of scouts to uncover talent. They frequently have contacts with schools and local team managers who keep them up to date on emerging talent. They assess the players according to their knowledge and inform the higher authorities about any exceptional talent discovered. That player is then formally invited by the club for trials. This article will tell you about clubs that invite players for professional football trials. 

1. Manchester United

Manchester United is a name that all football fans are familiar with. The club has been home to some sensational talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham. The club has enjoyed great success in the Premier League and Champions League. Only the best have a chance to represent them. They also pay a handsome salary to all their players. The club has a robust signing system that involves scouting for the best players. They track the best players through their scouts and then call them to professional football trials. They have successfully employed this system in signing their Under 17 roster. This ensures only quality and saves a lot of hassle for the coaches because they have to judge the cream shortlisted by the scouts.

2. Atletico Madrid

This La Liga has enjoyed the reputation of being a dark horse in every tournament they play. They lost a Champions League final in 2016 against old foes Real Madrid. They won the 2020/21 season of La Liga. Stars like Griezman and Torres have played for the team. The team enjoys a reputation for being a defensive giant. They are tough to score against. It has been seen that they look for specific traits before signing a player.

The features that a player possesses should be in accordance with the psychology and needs of the team. The player that fits in perfectly according to their criteria is invited to professional football trials held in their academy. The coaches are provided with the recent data of the player that depicts their fitness, form, and potential. The coaches then have the final say. This has been implemented to great success by several other clubs as well.

3. Juventus 

Juventus has won Serie A for a record 36 times. They are in semi-finals and finals at regular intervals in the Champions League. They are the best-scoring side in their league. Italian greats have played for the team in black and white. Cristiano Ronaldo also played for the side scoring more than 100 goals for the club in all competitions. Professional football trials were their answer to discovering new, young, and promising talent in the past.

However, the selection process has also evolved with the game advancing rapidly. Now players are judged while playing for their schools or other clubs. Their chances of excelling at the highest level are then weighed. Afterward, they are formally invited for trials at the academy. Coaches then have their say. Juventus have employed the system to sign Under 17 players for their men’s and women’s sides. Professional football trials at a large scale are avoided as it compromises the quality and wastes the coaches’ time. The players thus selected go on to play for the youth team. If they maintain their excellent performance and portray the highest standards of fitness they go on to represent the senior side.

Conclusion 

Football is a global sport. Many youngsters aspire to be professional footballers one day. However, the game keeps evolving and demands that everything related to it must also evolve. The selection process has evolved the most in this regard. So if you want to get called for professional football trials by top-tier football clubs, you must make sure that you do your best wherever you are playing. This is because the scouts may be watching, and you might get a call for trials if you are doing exceptionally well. So you need to work hard consistently if you wish to be a professional footballer someday.