From Johan Bakayoko to Jordan Teze and from Ismael Saibari to Isaac Babadi; its own youth academy was worth its weight in gold for this season’s almost champion team. In the future they will earn PSV many millions, just like Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke did last season. The talents of the future are being groomed at PSV Campus De Herdgang. “We strive for the best of the best, that’s what everything is aimed at,” says Camiel van Hoogstraten, manager of the PSV Academy, who lives in Schaijk.
You can see the PSV Academy as a large company. About 65 people work there plus many volunteers and almost three hundred players wear the shirt of the Eindhoven team. They all dream of one day standing on the pitch in the Philips Stadium. Camiel: “Our goal is to train football players for PSV 1, a third of the selection must consist of self-trained players.”
“From the Under 18s onwards, there is a good chance that you will make it to professional football. The absolute top of the Eredivisie is not for everyone, but every player follows his own path. You can also reach the top in a different way, such as Italian international Gianluca Scamacca or Genoa star Albert Gudmundsson, who played with us in our youth.”
“A step towards the absolute top of Europe.”
‘Own boys’ often have an advantage among the supporters. In addition to sentiment, training players is an important revenue model. “If you perform well at PSV, you can make great progress. With the transfer fees, the club can take a step towards the absolute top of Europe every time. It is our job to prepare the talents for the selection.”
To allow the greatest talents to progress, everything is done to ensure that they develop as best as possible. As a player, but also as a person. There are an unprecedented number of possibilities at De Herdgang. “We want to create awareness among a player of what it takes to really improve. The mindset is essential whether or not he will succeed.”
“It’s certainly not just about the hours on the field. Within the academy We also focus on aspects such as nutrition and rest and of course school is very important. Scientific research shows that athletes who are challenged in another area benefit from this in sports. Our study coordinator provides support from the club.”
“We are making an impression against major powers.”
Playing football at PSV is a childhood dream for many. And what about the international trips. “PSV’s youth are doing well abroad, as is evident from matches against European superpowers where we made an impression. We are invited to major tournaments worldwide in all age categories. Ultimately, we train them in such a way that they can play three top matches a week.”
Camiel previously worked as a youth coach at TOP Oss and Willem II/RKC and subsequently held positions within the youth academy of Sparta Rotterdam for nine years. Within PSV he is manager of the team for the second year academy where he is the policymaker together with Head of Training Ernest Faber.
“It gives me great satisfaction to see how all the players are developing fully, with PSV 1 as the ultimate goal. I don’t see any day as work. I am ambitious, so I intend to take the course for general managers and technical directors at the KNVB in the short term. What is difficult is finding the balance between a busy job and being at home with a girlfriend and two young children.”
Tags: PSV talents earn millions youth training worth weight gold
