Bend It Like Tech-Ham

T3’s Ex-Pro Footballer Sees if the Latest Techy Soccer Gear Can Give Him the Data He Needs to Improve His Beautiful Game…

- Andy Williams

It’s a funny old game, football. I should know, I was once a pro – and played against Brazil for wales in 1997. I also played in the Premier League in 1999 for Southampton. But back then, tech in the sport was extremely limited – about as rare as a Gary Lineker booking, you could say.

A GAME OF TWO HALVES

Yes, there wasn’t much in the way of technology back then. In my last year at Southampton they had just recruited a full-time Sports Scientist so it was something that they were just starting to look into. We did ‘plyometric training’ but this wasn’t really using technology.

I think in the professional game nowadays, the margins between success and failure are tiny. I’m certain that tech can improve the performance and efficiency of a player by that few percent that can make all of the difference. When I see all of the tech that is available nowadays I’m certain that it could have improved my game.The way players strike a ball nowadays is completely different to in the past (think of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale’s technique taking free-kicks). Through analysing how the ball will travel after striking it in different places can make those marginal differences. And through tech I’m sure I could have avoided certain injuries as well – as well as the one that ultimately retired me from the game.

Nowadays, Players are monitored not only in games but also in training and player’s individual needs are taken into account. Technology also provides players with a lot of information about the players that they will be lining up against at the weekend and they can study hours of footage of an opponent to see where their strengths and weaknesses are.