In the summer of 2021, Dundee FC Youth Academy embarked on a monumental partnership with St John’s RC High School by hosting its first ever Performance School. The school will be committed to the optimal holistic development of its young players.

The school will provide the best possible environment for the players to achieve excellence. The players will receive optimal training, education, nutrition, and recovery.  It will support their development by increasing the number of hours of training (10,000 hours by the age of 20) with increased productive touches on the ball.  

Head of Academy, Stephen Wright is passionate about this prospect, he said “To have the opportunity to spend more time with our young players during school time, will greatly benefit the players academically and on the football pitch.”

The programme will be complimented by the players accessing some of the best facilities in the city, including two grass pitches maintained by DFC groundsmen, a synthetic pitch, sand pitch, sports halls, a strength and conditioning suite, swimming pool for fitness and recovery, classrooms, and a dedicated office and locker bays.

Dundee FC’s Technical Director Gordon Strachan believes this will only enhance the development of players in the Academy. “This is a chance for us to take the Dundee FC Academy to the next level. We can now provide top class facilities, opportunities and a platform, then it’s up to the young players to provide the drive to progress to the next level.”

Managing Director, John Nelms highlights, “Finding, developing, and providing opportunity for our next generation of footballers, in a city as passionate as Dundee and its surrounding areas, is not only our mission it is our obligation.”