ABSTRACT
Talent is a ubiquitous feature of contemporary sport. Recruiting, contracting, developing, supporting, and managing talent are fundamental activities of clubs, as well as the wider sports system, and the rewards for dealing with them successfully can be considerable. This chapter discusses the concept of “talent management.” Borrowed from the business world, this phrase is not currently widely used in the academic sport literature. It represents two connected practices: the management of the talent development process (management of talent), and the management of talented players (management of the talented). The chapter is divided into four sections: 1) talent management as player development; 2) talent in English football, as a case study; 3) talent management as player management; and 4) talent management as human resourcing.
