England players will be sent their stats at the final whistle in the World Cup.
Cutting edge technology is being used in a new player app launched by world governing body FIFA for the tournament. It means Gareth Southgate’s men will be able to look at their phones in the dressing room and see their stats from the match.
England boss Southgate’s squad can see who has run furthest or had a good or bad game according to their instant data. The FIFA app is the most comprehensive system on the market and will analyse every single player performance at the World Cup.
Every player from every nation will be given access to the personalised FIFA app at the tournament and then be able to track what they can do in games.
Technology has long been in place which allows clubs and managers to track players in matches and training with things like how much distance covered, sprints, passing and tackles. But it can take a while to load up and players are not routinely given access to those stats on an individual basis.
However, this technology will give every player their own personalised data and is part of FIFA’s ongoing push to use new data to help players improve, having set up a task force to utilise data.
They are launching the app officially on Friday in the build-up to the tournament which is now less than two months away. They have also announced the introduction of semi automatic offsides during the World Cup in Qatar.
That uses Artificial Intelligence to track players all over the pitch and technology will be able to instantly identify offsides and alert the match officials. Animation images will be then be shown on big screens in stadiums to show fans when players are offsides even in tight decisions.
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Meanwhile, Southgate is ready to put his reputation on the line in his support for Harry Maguire.
Under-pressure Maguire is set to start against Italy in the Nations League despite losing his place in the Manchester United starting line-up because of his alarming drop in form. But Southgate insisted that Maguire is still England’s best option in defence even though he has less than two months to rediscover his form ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
England boss Southgate said: “Whatever reputation I have I’m putting it on there. I think, look, you always have to back your judgement and we feel Harry is an important player. If we thought there were experienced players ready to step in and play at a level above him there would be a different consideration and in some positions there would be a different level of competition in that way.
"He is our most dominant aerial centre-back. He is an important player for us. I think it’s important to back our best players.”
