Walsall professor says football success is tall about body shape
TALENT scouts hoping to find the football superstars of the future should pay close attention to body shape.
Research by a Walsall sports professor has found that tall, lean players like Thierry Henry, Peter Crouch and Ruud van Nistelrooy are most successful.
Professor Alan Nevill, of the University of Wolverhampton’s School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, based at Walsall, obtained official Premier League and old first division data to examine the key physical characteristics of top soccer stars.
He said the most significant finding came from recent analysis where players from successful teams were taller and younger than those from less successful teams.
There were a number of reasons why this body type was more likely to lead to success, he said.
“Apart from the fact that taller players will be more successful at heading the ball both defensively and in attack, they will be able to close down or limit opposition players’ ability to pass and distribute the ball,” he said. “Furthermore, taller, thinner people are able to dissipate heat more rapidly than shorter, heavier people.”
