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Analysis: Optimum Player Age
Prozone analyse elite performance data from the EPL to provide insights on the correlation between a player’s age and athletic performance.
The fact remains that all athletes eventually see their on-field performance decrease and it’s widely accepted that football players have a physical advantage early in their careers, before age takes away some of their natural athletic ability.
Playing at an elite level means that many players will often see a steep decline once their athletic ability fades even just a small amount, as even this minor degradation in performance suddenly becomes apparent in contrast to their younger counterparts and previous personal performances.
When analysing raw physical ability, data collected during the 2009/10 Premier League season shows that average speed, total distance, high intensity distance, top speed, average speed and critically the average number of high intensity activities all decrease with age (see Graph 1).
A technical analysis using the same data shows a similar trend and with both the average number of passes and possessions decreasing with age this initial analysis doesn’t bode well for the ageing football player. However, it is important to distinguish between the isolated physical and technical outputs and the collective performance in-game.
When analysing the combined performance ratings (derived via a scientific rating algorithm*), the data shows an increase in performance by age (see Graph 2). This suggests that this loss of the energy and endurance of youth encourages players to adapt their game and use their physical capabilities more efficiently.
Indeed, as teams such as Inter Milan (2010 European champions with an average age of 29.6) and individuals like Ryan Giggs (PFA Young Player of the Year awards in 1992 and 1993 and PFA Player of the Year 2009; aged 35) have demonstrated, age needn’t always be a barrier to consistency at the top level.
Whilst nearly all positions in football require similar physical skills albeit to different degrees and with different emphasis depending on position, it’s commonly suggested that players reach the peak of their career between the ages of 27-29. The collated statistics also show that optimum performance varies with position and experience and suggests an upward trend in performance ratings with age/experience, but these vary with different on-field roles. Centre-halves are at their best in their late twenties and central midfielders in their early thirties, whereas full-backs tend to reach their performance peak much earlier in their careers likely due to the high physical demands of the role within the modern game.
Coaching teams work to slow this decline and maximise a players potential. Maintaining excellent physical condition will help the player maintain his athletic ability, strength, and speed for a longer period of time. Furthermore, learning the game and position intricacies can help a player maintain his performance even after he has slowed just a bit.
Optimum player age is by no means an exact science but a delicate balance between experience and fitness. Teams need to know what to expect out of players, and players need to know how they can lengthen their productive careers. Prozone data and analysis can assist managers and coaching staff in recognising the areas in which their players are losing some of their athletic capacity and alter their roles and training programmes accordingly.
In an evolving business environment Prozone data enables clubs to be more focused and analytic in their recruitment processes, as well as being able to more accurately forecast the performance levels and professional life-spans of their players.
For further information email insight@prozonesports.com
*Prozone’s performance rating is derived using 25 position specific performance variables
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