Today, 12 August, is World Youth Day – the perfect moment to shine a light on the work HJK Helsinki is doing to nurture the next generation of football talent.
HJK has long been a force in Finnish football and have lifted the Veikkausliiga national title 33 times in their 118-year history. At the heart of their success is their academy.
Based in Helsinki, HJK benefits from a large player pool and boasts more full-time professional coaches than any other club side in the country. The advantage is clear in the data. According to CIES, HJK produces more youth players for the professional game than any other club in the Nordic countries.
Taking Youth Talent to the Next Level
For Juha Valla, Coordinator and U15 coach at HJK, success starts with strong foundations. “Our training facilities are quite good at the moment, but there is always room for improvement,” he says. “In the coming years, we hope to update them.”
The next big challenge is helping players take the final step. “The years from 15 to 18 are vital,” Valla explains. "Our women’s second team has an average age of just 16.8, and the men’s is under 20. We are now looking to push our best talents to make sure they can make that step into first-team football at even younger age."
HJK’s model is distinct from many clubs. Alongside its elite pathway, the club offers football to young players of all abilities, with some first-team players having worn the shirt since they were six years old.
Hiring Poker Players
Data also plays a major role in decision-making. “Our club culture has been data driven for a long time,” says Valla. “We get people from all walks of life, like a former poker player we hired… it’s a great example of how we are thinking outside the box in recruitment.”
While proud of the current system, Valla sees room to grow. “The focus now is on developing individual skills in the most talented players, supported by specialist coaches at key stages of their journey.”
Want to discover how we help and develop youth football across the continent? Reach out to our Youth Football team for more information.