Analysis: Cognitive skills are increasingly becoming an integral part of player development strategies within elite academies across Europe
By Jake Tiernan and David McGovern, DCU
Irish soccer is in a curious place. The national team, reeling from a painful loss to Armenia last month, travel to Portugal next weekend with their World Cup hopes hanging in the balance. Yet at home, the League of Ireland (LOI) is thriving, with two clubs, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne, qualifying for European football for the first time in history. This achievement is made all the more impressive following the findings of a recent Government-backed report, showing that LOI clubs lag far behind their European counterparts in staffing, contact hours and academy resources.
Few within Irish soccer circles will be shocked by these findings. Decades of financial instability and lack of investment within the LOI were previously masked by the success of the Irish national team, driven by players like Robbie Keane and Damien Duff, who developed their talents in the Premier League from a young age. But the influx of overseas talent to the Premier League, combined with Brexit's ban on under-18 transfers, has drastically reduced the opportunities available for young Irish players.
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From RTÉ 2fm's Game On, Shane Dawson and Ruby Walsh are joined by LOI director Mark Scanlon to discuss the Budget 2026 €3 million funding for soccer academys
In response, the FAI put forth a funding proposal to the Government to overhaul the LOI academy system, informed by a government-sanctioned audit from Belgian specialists Double Pass. This audit highlights major deficits in player development and talent identification, and recommends shifting away from match-focused training sessions to more holistic development programs, aimed at promoting the growth of technical, tactical and cognitive skills, a necessary step in raising the competitive standard of Irish soccer. In Budget 2026, it was announced that LOI academies would receive €3m in funding from the government.
Cognitive skills are increasingly becoming an integral part of player development strategies within elite soccer academies. As pointed out by former England defender Joleon Lescott top players are often separated not by their physical prowess or technical ability, but by their decision-making. Traditional decision-making evaluations focus on the outcome, e.g. did the pass lead to a goal? However, decisions can be influenced by factors outside the players' control, such as the strength of the opposition. Therefore, it may be more insightful to look at the process leading up to the decision.
Cognitive skills underpin the decision-making process. Abilities such as perception, attention and memory enable players to scan the pitch, spot opportunities/danger, recall tactical instructions and choose the right option under pressure. While these skills are thought to develop naturally through training and exposure, research has shown that more targeted strategies can facilitate development. While LOI academies meet international benchmarks for training and match exposure, the Double Pass report highlights that they fall short when it comes to contact hours and implementing skills development plans. This suggests that more targeted approaches to cognitive skill development are needed.
Clubs across Europe are recognising the importance of cognitive skill development. At FC Copenhagen, neuroscientist Jes Buster Madsen has worked to develop a cognitive model within the club, using VR software to assess players' cognitive skills and develop profiles that inform on-field training activities.
PSV Eindhoven have been testing academy and senior players routinely since 2016, using the results to develop cognitive skills through both isolated, laboratory-based training and on-field, small-sided games targeting skills such as scanning. Academy development staff at Sheffield United focus on using body regulation strategies such as yoga and breathwork to help promote mental clarity and enable players to use their cognitive skills more effectively during stressful game situations.
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In Ireland, cost is a major roadblock towards implementing cutting-edge cognitive science, as they demand financial and human resources that LOI clubs currently lack. What is needed, then, is a solution that is both cost-effective and labour-efficient.
Fortunately, such a solution may already exist within the research departments of Ireland's leading universities, where research groups possess the expertise and capabilities required to convert theoretical cognitive science into practical development tools. For example, a 2019 study from University College Dublin led by former Irish Women’s team head coach Eileen Gleeson demonstrated the value of player-led analysis in identifying the perceptual, cognitive and environmental factors at play during decision-making.
In GAA, Limerick hurling coach Paul Kinnerk and his research team at the University of Limerick have shown that a "game-based approach" to training, which emphasises simplified games over repetitive drills, can improve decision-making in young players.
In Ireland, cost is a major roadblock towards implementing cutting-edge cognitive science
Such research only scratches the surface of what might be possible in Irish soccer. Research methods from the field of cognitive science could be used to generate cognitive profiles of young Irish footballers and refine on-field training strategies, such as the game-based approach, by ensuring that essential mental skills are targeted.
The key to unlocking the potential of this research is the formation of a relationship between Irish universities, the FAI and LOI clubs. Such collaborations would allow universities to study the abilities of Irish footballers, while providing LOI clubs and the FAI with valuable outputs, such as detailed player profiles, improved talent identification and more informed training strategies.
Beyond cognitive skills, this relationship could yield benefits across the high-performance spectrum in areas such as strength and conditioning, sports medicine and nutrition. A powerful collaboration such as this could catapult both the domestic and international game into new heights by creating a self-sustaining player development model capable of producing world-class talent.
While Irish soccer may not possess the international standing it once had, the love for the game still burns deep within every fan in this country. By combining the passion, commitment and knowledge of LOI academies with the scientific expertise and capabilities of Irish universities, we can take meaningful steps towards ensuring that LOI representation in Europe becomes a routine, not a rarity, and memories like Italia '90 become a benchmark for future success, rather than ever-sought-after glory days.
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Jake Tiernan is a PhD Researcher in the School of Psychology at DCU. He is a Research Ireland Government of Ireland Postgraduate Research Scholar. Dr David McGovern is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at DCU. He is a former Research Ireland awardee.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
