“The key element of my role really is education, helping the players understand the link between food and performance whilst building healthy, strong, resilient bodies along the way,” Shilland explains.
“Nutrition underpins everything they’re doing on the pitch; mentally and physically. You get out what you put in so we want to nourish our talent and build a bunch of future first team stars.”
The importance of nutrition cannot be understated for professional footballers, however it is even more important for aspiring professional footballers at Academy level as they’re growing and working towards improving their performances on the pitch.
“So often nutrition is just an oversight, but it’s so important – particularly in an Academy. It’s essential for growth, development and health, first and foremost, but ultimately the goal is performance.
“My role helps the players understand what they eat and how that aids performance, but it also builds solid foundations so the body grows, is healthy, and responds to the training load.
