What You Need To Do as a Soccer Player if You Want to Play in One of The Top 5 Leagues
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The Top Five Leagues
It’s widely known that the highest level of organized soccer is played in Europe. There are talents that come out of every corner of the world, but the most organized and superior leagues are all in that one continent. The main five leagues which display the best players the sport has are LaLiga(Spain), Premier League(England), Serie A(Italy), Bundesliga(Germany), and Ligue 1(France).
Any soccer players number one goal is to make it to one of these leagues and have a long and fulfilling career. Its really is the dream. You play the sport you love and make millions in the process. Never have to truly work a day in your life. Now as great as this sounds, the journey to get there is grueling. You need to be willing to really put in all your blood, sweat, and tears into accomplishing this dream. All your time and effort has to be devoted to this one final goal of becoming a professional soccer player.
What Needs To Be Done
It’s a long process and so much work that has to be put in if you want to make it pro. But if I were to simply it, there would be five main components that had to be focused on:
1.) Mastering the fundamentals
2.) Physical Conditioning
3.) In Game IQ
4.) Build your Career
5.) Continuous Improvement
You need to able to have sort of a tunnel vision, and try to hyper focus on these specific things. If you can master them all and have the talent as well, then your on the perfect track to make it to the top level.
1. Mastering the Fundamentals
What a lot of people don’t understand is that a lot of professional players don’t often use such high level skills and maneuvers. It’s not even what they generally practice. This is because the key to all is through the basics. What pros have instead is near pitch perfect fundamentals. Things like their first touches are what is most crucial. Any scout will tell you that something like a good first touch is far more important than having a good scissor or rabonna.
So as a player what you should be doing in your training is perfected these basic parts of the sport. Your first touches, defensive stance, finishing, quick passes, long balls, etc. You should train things that you will for sure be doing in game. For instance, you should not be doing drills where you juggle the ball ten times and then volley it from outside the box. This is not realistic and won’t help you in game. Additionally, what’s good is that you also don’t need any crazy equipment to master the basics. You only need simple training equipment like cones and a ball and you can really level up your game.
Even for my wingers who love skills, I still think remaining simple is the best route. I strong believe that it is better to be exceptional art five simple skills than to be mediocre at twenty advanced ones. It sounds dumb but a good fake shot or cut is far more effective than any elaborate skill you can think of. Just look at Arjen Robbens career fro example. He became one of the best players in the world by simply perfecting the cut inside and finesse shot skill. Its a basic skill for beginners but he was a so good at it that he could embarrass world class defenders with it. Robin is truly a perfect example to show young players the importance of mastering the fundamentals.
Here’s a good video to demonstrate some simple moves that can be deadly if you use them properly.
2. Physical Conditioning
Top-level soccer requires exceptional physical fitness. Incorporate strength training and conditioning workouts into your routine to build muscle, increase endurance, and improve overall athleticism.
For strength training you should focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses to build overall strength. I also believe that all athletes should include exercises that target your core. A strong core is essential for balance and stability and that is something all high level athletes need.
Conditioning is just as important as strength. Possibly even more important in the world of soccer. 90 minutes is a long game and you have to remain in good condition the entire game or you will surely fall behind at the top level. To build endurance you can incorporate running drills, such as sprints and long-distance runs. Performing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can also make big changes to your level of endurance.
Speed and agility is something that will also come with improving your physical conditioning. Having good speed and agility are a must have for any attacking player at the top level. To improve this you can do a variety of different drills but the most effective is by far any drills involving an agility ladder. These drills will really get ur blood pumping and can give u much quicker feet, which will in turn help you in so many facets of the game. Read more on agility ladder drills
3. In Game IQ
Having good Game IQ is a crucial component to a good player. I’ve seen countless players that have all the talent to make it to prestigious academies, but just make bad decisions in game. To get better in game IQ you should study professional matches, analyze different strategies, and learn to read the game effectively. This studying will help you anticipate plays and make better decisions on the field. A player that has good game IQ will always have an advantage over his opponents.
the video I display below is a good example of the type of videos you should watch to help improve your in game IQ. It’s very hepful to hear masterminds of the game like Xavi discuss tactics and how to get out of different scenarios that happen during matches.
4. Build your Career
If you're really serious about going pro then it is very important to make sure you are putting yourself in the right positions for your talent to be seen. You can’t make it to the next level without catching the eye of pro scouts and coaches. I feel the first move you should make is to join a youth academy associated with a professional club. These academies provide structured training programs, competitive matches, and exposure to scouts.
This exposure will help you build a network. Networking is crucial because by meeting coaches and scouts they can open up doors to opportunities you might not find otherwise. Networking will come by going to showcases and tournaments wit your team. This is why should be at a high level academy instead of some little travel team. Top academies will expose you to the best showcases that are seen by coaches who can make a real impact on your life.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there as well. Anytime you see an event that could bring you exposure, go out and do it. Things like college ID camps or even dumb little YouTube soccer events. These can draw the eye of scouts. An example of this is the Top Baller YouTube channel. In their videos they host these 1v1 tournaments and you get to see some exceptional players go head to head. This are the type of events, although they sound dumb, you should try to attend. By having a good performance there, you could catch the eye of a coach in an academy.
5. Continuos Improvement
Even after reaching a high level, continuous improvement is key. Always seek to improve your weaknesses and refine your strengths. Adapt to new training methods and stay updated with the latest in soccer tactics and fitness. You always have to remember that talent will only get you so far. What really takes players the extra mile and pushes them to their max potential all depends on the amount of work they put in.
Not only should you be improving your skills daily, you should also work to improve your nutrition. Any athlete should be eating at least three proper meals a day that are high in valuable nutrients like protein and vitamin C. They should also be drinking about 125 ounces(15 cups) of water a day. In addition to a good diet, supplements can be extremely beneficial for soccer players. Read more on what supplements any athlete would need.
If I could simplify it, and pick the absolute best supplement that a player wanting to make it pro would need to take then I would say you can’t go wrong with daily vitamins. These vitamins can fill in nutritional gaps, ensuring soccer players receive all the essential vitamins and minerals they need for overall health and optimal performance. The two that I have used in the past and would recommend to anyone are Grüns Daily Gummies and One A Day multivitamins.
Final Approach
Every professional player started with a dream similar to yours. By following the guidance in this blog, dedicating yourself to consistent training, and seizing every opportunity, you can increase your chances of playing in leagues such as the Prem or LaLiga. Remember, the road to success is long and tough, but with passion and perseverance, your dreams are within reach. Keep pushing forward, and one day, you might find yourself competing on the grandest stages of global soccer.
