Achuthan Shanmugaratnam

Sport PhD

Achuthan took the plunge into PhD study to deepen his knowledge and contribute to the world of football talent identification and development. His passion for football shines through his research, and he works closely with his supervisor to progress to his goal of becoming a leading expert in the field.

Thesis: Giving Every Talent a Chance? A Longitudinal and Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme  

In my PhD, I am researching global talent identification and development in football through collaboration with FIFA’s Talent Development scheme programme, who support the funding of my study.  

FIFA has highlighted the global disparity in the level of football between regions of the world. Given the mission statement of FIFA’s president to make football truly global, increasing investments into the holistic approach to technical and educational projects have been made. As a result, my research is focused on examining FIFA projects and investments surrounding global talent identification and development.  

I chose to study my PhD at BCU due to my previous working relationship with my now supervisor, Dr. Adam Kelly. Given his amazing work in the field, I had no doubt that he would be the perfect supervisor to support me on my doctoral research journey.  

My PhD highlight so far has been the opportunity to attend the FIFA global football experts seminar, which allowed me to connect with leading experts and specialists within the field.  

I hope to have a global impact with my research on football talent identification and development, from both a theoretical and practical perspective.   

Theoretically, my research will contribute to findings in the area, addressing gaps in talent identification and development literature.  

Practically, this programme of research will provide key stakeholders in global football development with the knowledge, resources, and strategies to increase national competitiveness and opportunities for football talent across the world.   

In the future, my aspiration is to become a leading expert in the field of football talent identification and development, both as a researcher and practitioner. I wish to contribute novel evidence in the theoretical field, as well as support football organisations practically in the development of their own football eco-systems. 

My advice to PhD students is to embrace the journey and the challenges which come with postgraduate research. Overcoming obstacles and enduring late nights and early mornings will certainly be rewarding when you can reflect on the milestones achieved and true impacts made with your research.  

To me, ‘IAMBCU’ means being part of a community, and being interconnected through diverse experiences. It means that there is always support available, within and outside your academic and professional journey.