Why Individualised Training Wins in Football

In elite football, no two players are the same.

They differ in age, training history, positional demands, injury profile, playing minutes, and even personality.

Despite this, it’s still common to see uniform training programmes applied across an entire squad. While group structure is essential in a team sport environment, when it comes to physical preparation, a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t cut it.

Individualisation is not about creating completely separate plans for each player. It’s about applying subtle adjustments—on the pitch, in the gym, and through monitoring systems—to ensure that every player gets what they need to develop and perform, not just what the team needs on paper.

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On-Pitch Conditioning: Training the Player, Not Just the Position

Although football training is naturally team-based, conditioning within that structure can and should be individualised.

Some players require additional exposure to high-speed running. Others may be returning from injury and need more controlled aerobic loading.

Even within the same tactical drill, there’s opportunity to subtly shift emphasis depending on the player’s needs.

For example, a winger who isn’t consistently hitting sprint thresholds in training might benefit from sprint top-ups post-session.

A central midfielder with a high chronic load may be pulled back slightly during high-intensity small-sided games to manage fatigue.

GPS data provides useful insights here, but the real value lies in how that information is interpreted and acted upon. Over time, these marginal adjustments can have a significant impact on player readiness and injury resilience.

Gym Work: Same Room, Different Needs

The gym is where individualisation often becomes most visible. While the entire squad may train together at times, the content within that session can and should vary based on each player’s profile.

Baseline testing—whether through force plate analysis, NordBord, or movement screening—can help identify individual deficits. But data alone isn’t enough; the key is turning insight into intervention.

A player recovering from a hamstring injury may need a focus on eccentric strength, while another who shows a power deficit may need a block of plyometric or Olympic derivative work.

Some players thrive with bilateral lifts, while others benefit more from single-leg strength development due to their positional profile or injury history.

What matters is not that everyone is lifting the same weight, but that everyone is training for the same outcome: improved performance and reduced injury risk, in a way that reflects their own physiology and movement signature.

Monitoring and Feedback Loops: Individualisation in Real Time

Truly effective individualisation requires consistent monitoring. This doesn’t need to be high-tech, but it does need to be habitual.

Simple subjective tools—like daily wellness questionnaires and session RPE—offer early signals when players are under-recovering or starting to fatigue. Objective markers, such as jump performance or heart rate variability, can add another layer of understanding.

However, data without dialogue often falls flat. A player’s recent sleep quality, home stressors, or even emotional state can influence how they respond to a training stimulus.

The best physical coaches don’t just react to numbers—they listen, ask questions, and use context to shape decisions. Over time, this builds trust, which in turn increases the accuracy and value of the monitoring process.

Beyond the Data: The Human Element of Individualisation

While data helps us target physical needs, the human element is just as important.

A 34-year-old defender with 500 games under his belt may need a completely different approach to gym loading, recovery, and even session duration than a 19-year-old academy graduate full of energy and ambition.

Not because of arbitrary rules around age, but because of accumulated stress, movement efficiency, and career context.

Equally, not every modification is physical. Some players benefit from greater autonomy or explanation around why something is being done. Others thrive on structure and predictability.

As practitioners, understanding what makes each player tick—and adjusting our methods accordingly—is as critical to success as the prescription itself.

Final Thoughts

Individualisation isn’t just a tool—it’s a coaching philosophy. It doesn’t require a bigger budget or more equipment. It requires a shift in mindset: from seeing the squad as a homogenous group to viewing it as a collection of individuals, each with their own strengths, limitations, and needs.

When we apply this lens across pitch work, gym sessions, and recovery planning, we not only reduce injury risk—we create more robust, adaptable, and higher-performing footballers. And importantly, we foster trust and buy-in along the way, because players know the programme is designed for them, not just around them.

If you’re looking to develop this type of individualised thinking in your environment, you might enjoy being part of The Football Performance Network—a community of like-minded practitioners who are applying, testing, and sharing these concepts every day. From mentorship to live Q&As and real-world problem solving, it's a place to keep learning and evolving in good company.

Key Takeaways:

• Individualisation enhances performance by aligning training with a player’s unique profile.

• Pitch-based work, gym training, and recovery can all be adapted within a team setting.

• Monitoring creates feedback loops that guide decision-making in real time.

• The best practitioners use both science and intuition to coach the person, not just the data.

That's all for today.

See you next Friday.

James 🫡