Academies are all the rage in England, yet clubs are still searching for the right formula of schooling and training to meet academic demands and still groom young players for possible advancement.

One team that is drawing visits and inquiries from rivals is Watford, which has integrated its young players into a traditional school, rather than offering an alternative classroom program.

"We pick the children up at around 7 am and they then do all the normal subjects but also have scheduled coaching throughout the day – at times when they are fresh – then we drop them home at 7 pm," says Nick Cox, the co-ordinator of Watford's academy. "We get to do about 15 hours of football with them a week, up to three times more than most other clubs in this country."