Everton’s Academy staff recently hosted a celebration event to mark 10 years of an internship partnership between the Club and Liverpool John Moores University that has seen as many as 60 students graduate and go on to take up sport science and performance analysis roles at professional football clubs in England and abroad.
The internship partnership sees around 10 one-year placements offered to LJMU’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences students annually, with successful applicants being given the opportunity to take up paid internships alongside Everton’s staff.
Through the programme, students gain vital knowledge, skills, and experience within sports science and analytic roles typical of a Premier League football club.
As a direct result of the internship partnership, more than 20 interns have been employed by Everton following the conclusion of their university degree.
More than 80 people gathered at Everton in the Community’s Blue Base to celebrate the partnership on Wednesday 16 February, with former interns sharing their experiences of working for Everton and explaining how the internship programme helped them enter the world of professional football.
Guest speakers included Doug Crichton, Everton’s Academy Performance Nutritionist and a current LJMU PhD candidate, Dr Lewis Charnock, Everton’s Academy Performance Psychologist and a former LJMU placement, and Joe Brookman, Southampton’s Academy Strength and Conditioning Coach and a former LJMU intern.
Attendees also took part in a Q+A session with the Head of the Football Exchange at LJMU Dr Martin Littlewood, Everton’s Head of Academy Sports Science and LJMU intern and placement leader John McKeown, Emily Sandford, a current LJMU intern, and Jack Dowling, a one-time intern who recently became Everton’s First-Team Strength and Conditioning Coach, having previously worked as First-Team Athletic Performance Coach at Blackburn Rovers.
McKeown, who led the event, said: “The partnership we have built with LJMU’s Football Exchange and Sport Science department is ground-breaking, and this can be seen in the number of successes we have had across the last 10 years, many of whom have been keen to get involved here today to show their support and share their positive experiences.
“Everton’s involvement with Liverpool John Moores University has led to the partnership being one of the most revered in the UK in terms of how well it is organised and constructed.
“The programme continues to grow and evolve, and we are now starting to see a more diverse group of students gain placements and go on to enter the world of sports science and performance analysis.
“Our mission here at Everton is to help support and nurture the young talent that is out there, not only on the field but also off it too.”
Dr Martin Littlewood said: “What has been achieved over the 10-year relationships is remarkable. Our students gain first-hand practical experience to apply their academic knowledge in the real world in an elite environment.
“Their development during the internship is such a valuable learning experience that propels them closer to employment beyond graduation.
“The pipeline of talent that the relationship has provided to the football industry is a fabulous reflection of the hard work of LJMU and Academy staff at Everton Football Club.
“We are excited to see what the next decade of our relationship brings.”
For more information about the career-enhancing student placements available through study with the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University visit the LJMU website here.
