The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) hosted a highly successful AIMS Player Development Day at St George’s Park, bringing together over 100 players from 14 Premier League clubs, 40 EFL clubs and eight National League clubs, alongside more than 250 parents, club representatives and stakeholders from across the professional game.
The scale of attendance reflected a strong, shared commitment across the professional game to improving representation, development and long-term support for players and families.
Delivered as part of the Asian Inclusion Mentoring Scheme (AIMS), the event provided players with the opportunity to train in a high-performance environment supported by England National Youth Development Coaches, alongside club coaches and PFA staff. The day combined on- pitch activity with off-pitch learning, player and parent panel discussions and informal mentoring.
AIMS operates as a peer-to-peer mentoring programme, connecting players of Asian heritage with senior professionals and practitioners who understand the demands and challenges of the elite pathway. Throughout the day, professional players and support staff spent time engaging with younger players both formally and informally, reinforcing the value of lived experience and relatable role models.
Delivery on the day was underpinned by a whole-game, multidisciplinary approach, with coaching, medical, wellbeing and operational support provided by staff from 12 different professional football clubs, alongside collaboration with the PFA, The FA and PGMOL.
Dedicated parent sessions focused on improving understanding of the elite pathway, building confidence, and increasing awareness of the wider support available through the PFA. Feedback from families and stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of access to experienced practitioners and the quality of the environment created.
Reflecting on the day, Riz Rehman, PFA player inclusion executive, said: “Days like this show what is possible when players, families, clubs and stakeholders come together with a shared purpose. The players brought incredible energy and openness, the families showed real commitment to supporting their children, and the level of engagement from clubs and partners across the day was outstanding.
“AIMS is about connection, belief and opportunity, and the environment created at St George’s Park reflected that. We’re hugely grateful to everyone who contributed to making the day such a positive and memorable experience for the players.”
Dilan Markanday is pictured taking part in a panel discussion at the event
Photo: Jon Super for PFA
