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Birth order is an important factor in football development.
A study of 81 of the best ever Premier League footballers shows that they are likely to be later born (link to research at bottom of thread).
A thread
A study of 81 of the best ever Premier League footballers shows that they are likely to be later born (link to research at bottom of thread).
A thread
The sample is The @Independent newspapers Top 100 PL footballers from March 2019. I found birth order and family size data for 81 of them.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-100-best-player-countdown-ronaldo-manchester-united-city-liverpool-henry-giggs-terry-a8844586.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-100-best-player-countdown-ronaldo-manchester-united-city-liverpool-henry-giggs-terry-a8844586.html
“So how does a scrawny, incredibly talented kid from Guernsey get to play for England? I’ll tell you. I grew up playing against three older, highly talented brothers – that sharpened me up” – Matt Le Tissier, youngest of four @mattletiss7
“My sister Deborah is seven years older than me but was the first goalkeeper I scored against” – Dwight Yorke, eighth of nine
"They (older brothers) acted as a sounding board, and I needed that more than I needed a manager. I never had many friends as a kid. I didn’t need any because I had the best three at home." - Bergkamp, youngest of four
"At the end of my first season at Rockmount, I was voted Player of the Year. I was incredibly proud that I had upheld the Keane family tradition at the club where my brothers had played.” - Roy Keane, 4th born of 5
“We had a successful team and it was quite a family affair for the Beardsleys. Brother Ronnie played centre-half and was the team captain, while my brother George, who was much bigger than I was, played centre-forward and was one of the best in the league”. - Beardsley, 3rd of 4
"...a scorer of wonder goals against my big brother Paul and his mates who were between three and five years older than me. They tackled hard and sometimes brought me down, making my knees bleed. I just got up, refusing to cry" - Gerrard, 2nd of 2
"Let’s just say I inherited some of Antonio’s qualities. Like Antonio I have never allowed myself to be silenced, I have never been afraid to speak my mind" - di Canio, 4th of 4
Michael Essien is fifth born of five; Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink is sixth born of six; Andy Cole is seventh born of eight; Dwight Yorke is eighth born of nine; Nani is ninth born of nine; and Sol Campbell is twelfth born of twelve.
@Paulmcg8 https://twitter.com/Paulmcg8/status/1266329302599184385?s=20
Are these attributes the result of a coach? Or of growing up with a big brother? Demographics may be more important than coaching. How much of this do we understand and what is the potential for developing players - especially goal-scorers?
Are these attributes the result of a coach? Or of growing up with a big brother? Demographics may be more important than coaching. How much of this do we understand and what is the potential for developing players - especially goal-scorers?
In addition: An analysis of the 30 most prolific @premierleague goalscorers show they come from larger families with more siblings, including more older siblings. None of the 15 most prolific PL all-time goalscorers are first-born
In addition, a low sample study shows that Relative Age Effect is more apparent in first-borns than later borns - indicating a possible interesting demographic dynamic between birth order in the family and relative age.
My research for University of Worcester PG Cert course, with thanks to @donaldvinson, Andy Cale and @Harleysimpson18
Link to the full research portfolio: https://v3.pebblepad.co.uk/spa/#/public/m35yWmrZkykt5bh95WyGy9nHtM
Link to the full research portfolio: https://v3.pebblepad.co.uk/spa/#/public/m35yWmrZkykt5bh95WyGy9nHtM
