Millwall FC's Jake Cooper is studying MSc Football Science to get the skills he needs when he retires and takes a role off-pitch.

Master's study as a professional footballer

Student experience

Sport and fitness

Video cuts away to footage of Jake playing football and scoring a goal.

[Jake Cooper, Millwall FC and MSc Football Science student] so I'm Jake Cooper I'm a professional footballer here at Millwall Football Club, I have been for eight seasons now and I'm studying football science at Solent University. Well my career goals were to obviously play football and obviously I want to stay in football when I finish, so you've got to have certain, you know, experience in that and you've got to go and do the the right courses and things that lead you to the paths that you want to take in the future and yeah our careers are only short and we have to we have to think about what comes after football.

[Jake] You know when you get to a certain age I think that starts coming to your mind. So I was more interested in the football side of things and came across the the course at Solent and obviously it's a master's level as well, so realised that with my experience in football I could, you know, get into the course. 

Video cuts away to footage of the women's football team playing at Test Park and using the gym at Solent

[Jake] Great facilities actually that I thought. When I first arrived Test Park the training facility, you know, used the the 3G pitch there and the the classrooms available lovely place to go and do your studies. So I'm doing two modules at the minute which is is on football periodisation the breaking down of a season into periods, you know into mesocycles microcycles and breaking down what kind of training needs are are are scheduled in for that that certain block. And management and leadership in football, so you know managing up with the the leadership side of things and then managing training schedules.

[Jake] I look forward to doing my own research on things cause I have a lot of, you know, things to use here at the club that I can put into some good research topics, I think, and yeah I'm just looking forward to working with the guys, you know, I'm just enjoying doing the course on on the side of playing football. The course has been really flexible with my job I think they understand that the field I work in and yeah they've changed assessment dates around for me and they've been really good at, you know, calling me from home and making sure everything's alright and I'm ready for my studies. Yeah I couldn't ask for for any more help from them guys it's been good.

Video cuts away to footage of Jake training with Millbrook FC

[Jake] It's been hard work, I think, it's a lot goes into doing it fulltime, something people have to think about but we get a lot of time after training and on the coach, and in the hotel so yeah I think I'm getting everything out of it that I can wish for. I want a job in football when I retire from playing and the physical side of the game is something that interests me a lot. It's just been about you know realising how much attention to detail goes into, you know, what we do on a day-to-day basis.

[Jake] I think what the guys look into, you know, all the performance metrics that are assessed, is something that I didn't realise before, so it's been good to learn that kind of side of things. The coaching side is coming as well but I have a more interest in the physical side of things at the minute so I think this course kind of suits that with an intention for my post career, you know, work.

[Jake] I've been PFA rep for the last few years here at Millwall and I look after the boys here, and as a link between the PFA and and the club, but yeah they've supported me in the studies. The PFA are great they help all the lads who want to study, they help, you know give some funding to the lads and yeah they funded a good part of my course this year so you can't ask for much more help from them I think.

[Jake] This course especially can lead people down all different routes in football, I think, we've got analysis on their coaches and all different people which have a route they want to take after their careers and I think for players you really get helped by the team here so it's something that they should definitely look at if they want to want a career in football still when they finish playing.

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