Get Instant Access to the Best-Selling Book That's Helped Thousands of Youth Footballers:
...Even if They're One of the Smallest Players on Their Team
"In all my years as a coach at different levels, I have never read such an excellent and knowledgeable book. This book should be in every managers/coaches library regardless of what level they play at, from Sunday League to the professional leagues. This book is a must. Thank you. Excellent." - Ray Crampton
Written for players, parents, and coaches, this ALL-NEW second edition reveals the proven strength and conditioning methods that have helped thousands of youth footballers transform physically – to stand out in trials, dominate matches, and get noticed by scouts.
Discover exactly how to support your child’s physical development safely – without guesswork, confusion, or injury risk.
James Donnelly: Ex-Pro Youth Footballer to Specialist S&C Coach
I’m not just another fitness coach – I’ve lived through pretty much every challenge an aspiring pro footballer is likely to face.
Football was everything to me, and I was on track for a successful career, but at 19, I suffered a career-ending hip injury.
Doctors told me I’d never play again and that I could even end up in a wheelchair, but I refused to accept that fate.
In 2008, I started studying football-specific strength and conditioning, determined to rebuild my body and return to the game.
I dedicated myself to learning everything I could about football science - applying what I learned to my own recovery.
Four years later, I defied the odds and made a miraculous return to competitive football overseas, finding myself lining up against both professional and international teams in my first comeback season.
...Pretty incredible considering I thought I'd never step foot on a football pitch ever again.
That moment in 2008 where I suffered my "career-ending" injury sparked a passion in football science which has only continued to grow.
I’ve spent over 15 years refining and increasing my knowledge, coaching hundreds of players in-person 1-1 and tens of thousands online.
My studies have included being mentored by some of the world's leading football scientists who work at clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and PSG, as part of my Masters in Football Strength & Conditioning qualification.
In 2016, I launched Matchfit Football, and my team and I have since coached over 50,000 footballers worldwide, many of whom have gone on to play at professional and even international level.
The strategies I’ve used with these players are the same ones you will learn about in thids book.
This isn’t just a theory, it’s grounded in real-world experience.
It’s rarely talent alone.
It’s often the physical difference – strength, speed, stamina, and the ability to repeat efforts without breaking down.
Does your child have the technical ability to be one of the best, but just needs that extra edge to truly stand out?
Or maybe they’re already a strong player…but you know they could be faster, stronger, more explosive, and impossible to ignore if they had the right physical training?
Or perhaps they’re being outmuscled or outrun, and even though they’ve got great feet and vision – they’re being overlooked because they don’t yet look physically “ready.”
In all of these cases, there’s one key truth:
Technical ability might get your child noticed – but physical performance is what turns talent into real opportunity.
At the highest level, every player on the pitch is technically sound.
It’s the ones who are stronger, faster, more powerful, and more resilient who actually dominate games and rise through the ranks.
And that’s exactly why I wrote this book.
Inside, I break down the exact methods I’ve used to help youth players:
✅ Get selected for pro academies
✅ Step up to international level
✅ Gain the physical edge to consistently outperform their peers
✅ Overcome late physical development and start competing with confidence
✅ And most importantly – stay injury-free while improving season after season
Whether your child is currently falling behind or already one of the top players in their team but wants to go even further, this book will show them how.
It’s not just about catching up, it’s about building the complete athletic foundation needed to reach the top level of the game.
And it’s written in a clear, easy-to-follow way – perfect for players aged 9-18, and for parents who want to finally understand how to support their child’s development the right way.
If your child wants to go further in football…
If you want to make sure they’re doing everything they can to succeed…
If you want to avoid guesswork, wasted training, and injury setbacks…
Get instant access to The Football Fitness Bible below.
Let’s build the body to match the talent, and give your child every physical advantage possible.
The Smart Way to Train During the Season
Learn how to stay strong, fast, and resilient all season long – without burning out or overtraining between matches.
How to Train for Power, Not Just Strength
Discover how to turn raw strength into explosive power – so they can jump higher, accelerate faster, and strike the ball with more force.
Train at Home Without Sacrificing Results
Discover the best tools and setups for building elite-level strength and speed at home – no fancy gym required.
Why Relative Strength Beats Muscle Size in Football
Understand why being strong for their size is far more important than getting bulky – and how to train accordingly for speed, agility, and resilience.
How to Avoid the ‘Training Interference’ Trap
Make sure their hard work actually leads to results by learning how to balance strength, stamina, and speed training the right way across a busy football week.
What Elite Players Know About Recovery
Understand recovery strategies used by top professionals – like contrast therapy, active recovery, and sleep routines – to help their body adapt faster and perform better.
The Real Meaning of Football-Specific Training
Cut through the noise and discover the type of gym training that's required to truly see visible results on the football pitch – and why many fitness trainers working with young footballers are totally missing the mark.
What to Do If Your Child’s Falling Behind Physically
If your child hasn’t hit their growth spurt yet and is being overlooked due to size or strength – this book gives you a clear, science-backed roadmap to help them start building real strength, speed, and power now, so they can close the gap fast and get back to competing with confidence.
Foundational Strength Work
"Foundational training is not a step backwards – it’s a strategic investment. Athletes who take the time to build a strong base experience smoother progressions, fewer setbacks, and greater capacity for long-term gains."
Strength That Moves Well
“Players who train for relative strength often outperform those who chase size or absolute numbers alone – because in football, how well you move matters more than how much you can lift.”
Movement Pattern Memory
"The more movement patterns a player has in their ‘neuromuscular library,’ the better equipped they are to adapt in tight situations, change direction with control, or recover their balance after contact or fatigue."
Interconnected Abilities
"Strength, power, speed, stamina, and injury resilience are often discussed separately, but in practice, they are deeply intertwined. Developing one in the absence of the others leads to limited results, plateaus, and increased injury risk."
Core Stability and Sprinting
"A strong core stabilises the torso during sprinting, minimising unwanted rotation and side-to-side movement. This allows players to maintain a straight, efficient posture – reducing energy waste and enabling quicker, more controlled changes."
Injuries as Opportunity
"Injury doesn’t have to signal a halt in progress. With the right approach, it can become one of the most productive phases of a player’s development."
Multi-Sport Development
"Engaging in a variety of sports during the developmental years exposes young athletes to a broader range of physical, mental, and tactical challenges. This helps build a more well-rounded foundation."
And that’s just the start...
This book goes far beyond what was in the first edition or what you’ll find in free YouTube videos.
A lot of football fitness content focuses on the same surface-level tips, this is a complete, research-backed framework designed specifically for footballers of all ages, including their parents and coaches.
Inside, you'll uncover advanced yet practical methods to develop serious football-specific athleticism – all drawn from over 15 years of hands-on experience and daily deep study in football strength and conditioning.
Get Your eBook/Kindle Copy Today!
For just £10, you’ll get instant access to the digital PDF copy of the book, along with an ePub version formatted for Kindle to keep for life.
The physical copy is available on Amazon from £24.99. By getting your digital copy today on this page, you can access the book instantly, at the lowest price it will ever be.
This digital edition will soon be priced at £15 – so you're also getting a great deal by grabbing it now.
Inside, you’ll find the very best of what I’ve learnt in over 15 years of helping footballers develop elite-level athleticism – made practical and easy to apply whether you're a player, coach, or parent.
The book breaks everything down into manageable steps that any player can implement immediately into their training schedule.
Having access to this training knowledge - with context on how to apply it as a footballer - will give you:
Freedom from ineffective training methods
Better physical preparedness for trials and matches
A simplified approach to fitness that actually works
Increased confidence in their abilities, body and performance
Becoming a "go-to" player on their team
Once your purchase is complete, you’ll instantly receive an email with download links for both the digital PDF version and a Kindle-friendly copy – so you can start reading straight away on any device.
Whether you're a youth player, parent, or adult aiming to improve...
Every concept in the book is broken down into simple, easy-to-follow language...
So even younger players can read, understand, and apply it with confidence.
Here’s a simple promise:
The Football Fitness Bible will show you everything that I’ve told you about on this page and more.
If you’re not satisfied with the book for ANY reason...
...just let my team know with a quick email to info@matchfitconditioning.com, and we'll send you a refund for your purchase.
Please Note: EU customers will see VAT automatically added to the final price during checkout, based on your country’s tax rules.
