Next Phase Football Talent ID
The events are complete.
The opportunities continue.
Our latest Talent ID programme has now concluded following a strong series of football events delivered alongside AR Elite Academy.
Players were given the opportunity to showcase their ability in competitive football environments, receive assessment and feedback, and be considered for appropriate next-stage opportunities.
For some players, the event itself was only the beginning.
The programme
More than
one event.
Talent ID should not simply be about turning up, playing for an hour and going home.
Our objective is to create an environment where players can be properly observed, where useful feedback can be provided and where suitable players can move towards relevant football opportunities.
Player assessment
Players were observed within competitive football environments rather than judged from a written application alone.
Honest feedback
Players and families were given development information designed to help them understand what stood out and where improvement may be needed.
Scout exposure
Professional football scouts and football environments formed part of the wider Talent ID programme.
Next-stage opportunities
Where appropriate, players have been considered for further fixtures, assessment and football opportunities.
Player development
For players not progressing immediately, the feedback should still provide something useful to take back into training and matches.
Real outcomes
From Talent ID
to the next stage.
- Players progressing from Talent ID activity into further showcase fixtures.
- Selected players being invited into appropriate next-stage football environments.
- Selected players progressing into a fixture against Stoke City.
- Selected players progressing towards the Burnley U18 Scholars Match Opportunity on 25 August 2026.
- Scout interest and subsequent follow-up where appropriate.
- Individual player assessment feedback requested through the Next Phase Player Hub.
Next-stage opportunity
Talent ID
to Stoke City.
One of the opportunities arising from the recent Talent ID programme saw selected players progress into a fixture against Stoke City.
Opportunities like this are not promised to every player.
They are created where the right football environment becomes available and where players have shown qualities that justify the next step.
Progression
The next stage:
Burnley.
The Burnley selection event has been completed following an evening of competitive football and individual player assessment.
Selected players have progressed towards the Burnley U18 Scholars Match Opportunity on 25 August 2026.
The focus of this stage is progression and performance rather than attendance. Every player selected earned the opportunity through what they showed within the selection environment.
Burnley U18 Scholars match opportunity — 25 August 2026
Progression was based on individual performance and suitability at the selection event. Participation in any Next Phase Football or AR Elite Academy event does not guarantee a professional-club trial, academy place, signing, contract or future football opportunity.
Player feedback
Development doesn't
stop at the final whistle.
Players from the Talent ID programme have also been able to request individual assessment feedback through the Next Phase Player Hub.
The purpose is not simply to tell a player whether they were selected.
It is to help them understand aspects of their performance and what may need to improve next.
Previous event success
10
Players scouted for trial opportunities
From our previous Talent ID event
10 Players Scouted
for Trial Opportunities.
Our previous Talent ID event brought together scouts and representatives from a strong range of professional and high-level football environments.
Following the event, 10 players were scouted for trial opportunities.
The outcome demonstrated the value of giving ambitious players a serious platform to showcase their ability, compete under pressure and be considered for genuine football pathways.
These events are designed to create opportunity through performance. Every player must still demonstrate the ability, attitude, readiness and suitability required for any next step.
Real opportunities
Previous players were identified for trial opportunities following their performances.
Serious football environment
Players were assessed within a competitive environment built to reveal technical, tactical, physical and mental qualities.
Player development
The experience was designed to provide assessment, feedback and a clearer understanding of what players need to improve.
Professional Club
Attendance.
Previous Talent ID activity attracted attendance from clubs and football environments across different levels of the professional game.
- Leeds UnitedIn attendance
- Manchester CityIn attendance
- Stoke CityIn attendance
- Newcastle UnitedIn attendance
- Stockport CountyIn attendance
- Preston North EndIn attendance
- Wigan AthleticIn attendance
- Burnley FCIn attendance
- Blackburn RoversIn attendance
- Oldham AthleticIn attendance
- EvertonIn attendance
Club attendance at previous events does not guarantee attendance at future Talent ID events, player selection or a trial opportunity.
Previous outcomes do not guarantee future trials, selection or football opportunities. Every player is assessed according to their own performance, ability, attitude, readiness and suitability.
Delivered with
AR Elite Academy.
The Talent ID programme is delivered alongside academy partner AR Elite Academy, which provides an active football environment where competitive fixtures, assessment and development work can take place.
AR Elite Academy and Next Phase Football remain separate organisations. Using a Next Phase Football service does not guarantee AR Elite selection or membership.
The next event
starts with the player.
Our latest Talent ID series is complete, but future events and football opportunities will continue to be developed.
If you would like to hear about future Talent ID opportunities, speak to the Next Phase Football team.
Important
Contacting Next Phase Football does not guarantee a place at a future event. Every player is assessed on their own performance, ability, attitude, readiness and suitability, and any trial, invitation or selection remains at the discretion of the relevant club or organisation.