AZ Alkmaar use BrainsFirst test to identify best young talent and it has helped them win UEFA Youth League

AZ Alkmaar have one of Europe’s most innovative and successful academies. Following their UEFA Youth League triumph, Adam Bate speaks to Eric Castien of BrainsFirst to find out more about the role that neuroscience is playing in the club’s recruitment

In April, AZ Alkmaar won the UEFA Youth League by scoring 19 goals and conceding only twice in the knockout stages. Their triumph underlines their reputation as one of Europe’s best academies. It is a tale of talent identification and development.

But there is more to their success than scouting and coaching. The process of establishing which players they invest time in is a decade in the making. At AZ, they have been studying the brains of players as young as 12 to better understand their potential.

“AZ look for players who are not only outliers physically, mentally, tactically and technically but also cognitively,” Eric Castien tells Sky Sports. He is the founder of BrainsFirst, the organisation recruited by the Eredivisie club to test the brains of their youngsters.