The College is honoured to be the home of the first and only Pro:Direct South Wales Football Academy in Wales!
Our extensive training program is designed to prepare players for the transition to professional football. Academy players receive expert guidance and training from UEFA A and FA Licensed Coaches and compete in weekly fixtures in the ECFA Premier League. They benefit from pro-level fitness, recovery and diet programs, physiotherapy access, and personalised strength and conditioning plans.
The Pro:Direct Academy is committed to helping players reach their full potential, offering programmes to advance players towards earning professional contracts. Players can also gain valuable experience through elite scholarships and trips to some of the best sporting facilities in the footballing world.
The team have been extremely successful in previous years including reaching the British Cup Final the last two years in a row (last year’s being played at Accrington Stanley Stadium). They also reached the Welsh Cup final, showing the commitment and highperforming level of this academy.
The College works closely with Swansea City Football Club, providing our players with access to guest coaches. Players benefit from local work placements where they can gain industry skills and find employment opportunities. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in the achievements of our alumni, many of whom have gone on to successful professional careers. Notable alumni include Ricky Owen, Nathanial Osbourne, Ollie Anderson, Caleb Demery, Tyler J Evans and Harvey Chapman. Our Football academy has the largest set of coaches, including Andrew Stokes U18s Welsh assistant coach and Richard South Head Coach of Welsh Schools.
Alongside the Pro:Direct Football Academy, players can choose to study on one of the numerous College courses that fit in with the training slots and games, for example Football, Coaching and Performance (Worth one/three A Levels).
Benefits
- Training and fixtures:
- Daily training sessions
- 12-14 hours of coaching with UEFA A and FA licensed coaches per week
- Weekly competitive fixtures in the ECFA Premier League
- VEO footage and analysis.
- Pro-level fitness, recovery and diet programmes:
- Physiotherapy access
- Diet plans and nutritional advice
- Strength and conditioning training, gym plans and fitness sessions.
- Progression:
- Programmes to advance players towards earning a Pro Contract.
- Other opportunities:
- Elite scholarship packages
- Work experience and employment opportunitie
- Match tickets, stadium tours, trips, guest speakers and workshops
- Nike brand opportunities and events
- Pro:Direct Soccer discount codes.
Coaches
Richard South, Head of PDA South Wales Men's Academy and 1st Team Manager:
Richard joined in 2003, helping to merge the Swansea and Gorseinon squads to create the Gower College Swansea Football Academy.
Richard has a wealth of experience, having worked for Swansea City AFC and Manchester United Soccer Schools for over ten years. He also coached overseas in the USA, Asia and Europe.
Andrew Stokes, PDA South Wales Men's Lead Coach:
An alumnus of the College, Andrew has been an integral part of the Academy since 2014. He has worked for Swansea City, Swansea Schoolboys and Manchester United Soccer Schools and has coached overseas in the USA, Asia, Africa and Europe.
Andrew has a UEFA A License and is a Coach Educator for the FAW as well as a JD Cymru League Manager.
Join the Academy
We are looking for the best players to join this Academy. If you are interested or want more information, please email southwales@prodirectacademy.com.
You can also follow the Academy on Instagram.
