ABSTRACT
Until recently, talent identification programmes have not been based on rigorous scientific criteria and this could be important in supporting the subjective decision made by the coaches (Williams and Reilly, 2000). It is well documented that performance in football is a consequence of an individual’s tactical and technical ability, their psychological skills and their physiological attributes (Reilly and Gilbourne, 2003). There is a vast amount of data on the technical aspects of the sport, the activity profiles of the players and the physiological loads imposed (Reinzi et al., 2001). The combination, however, of these characteristics as an overall performance indicator within real match-play situations has received relatively little attention.
