"I would like QPR to become the Academy of choice in London"
Queens Park Rangers FC Academy Director, Alex Carroll believes the move to a new training ground will enhance the club's ability to attract and retain the best talent in London, with all the club's football departments set to be under one roof once the state of the art facilities are complete. Images: Ian Randall What is the current state of the Academy? We operate a Category Two Academy at our training base in Heston. Our categorisation is determined by the Professional Game Board following an audit process which is overseen by the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC). Our vision is to help young people fulfil their potential by providing them with a range of positive pathways, both inside and outside the game. We are delighted with the progress that we have made over the last 6 years, with 20 players that have been produced through our development programme making debuts in the First Team. We are equally proud of the boys that have gone on to forge successful careers in different industries, as well as those that have earned places at some world-renowned universities/colleges, such as Harvard College in the United States of America. There is plenty of positive change on the horizon with the ongoing training ground project at Heston. The First Team have recently moved across to be on the same site at the Academy, and works are well underway to construct a state-of-theart training centre.
26 | OTFF ISSUE 20 ★ SUMMER 2022
What does the transition period between seasons look like for you? We don’t have a traditional closed season break at our Academy as our Schoolboys (U9 – U14) have a summer programme that runs until the start of the school holidays. We started this programme several years ago as we felt it would provide the boys with an opportunity to go on holiday and spend time with their friends and families without the pressure of having to commit to the Academy schedule. The full-time Academy groups (U18 & U23) do have some time away from the Academy and are all provided with programmes to ensure that they return in good physical condition ahead of preseason. The summer period provides our staff with a great opportunity to review the previous season and plan effectively for the new season. It has however been a summer like no other as we have been busy planning the integration of the First Team at our training base. On a personal note, I was fortunate enough to recently go on holiday with my young family. It is vitally important to ensure that you take care of yourself and recharge the batteries when you have the opportunity, as the football industry can be all consuming. ➡
