Making a Max Dowman | The science behind developing sport's top teen prodigies

Joe Molloy is joined today by Des Ryan, a sports scientist and athlete-development specialist from Galway, who spent nine years as head of athletic development at the Arsenal academy, where he worked closely with young players preparing to step into senior professional football, coaching Max Dowman at U12 level. Before moving into football, he spent over a decade in the world of rugby, building expertise in strength, conditioning and long-term athlete development. He now serves as Director of Sport and Physical Wellbeing at the University of Galway, focusing on high-performance sport and student wellbeing, while continuing to advocate for modern, science-driven youth training systems that help teenagers transition successfully into elite adult sport.

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