HOW TO FEED A FOOTBALLER
Forget alcohol and ketchup, now it’s all cookery courses and meals on wheels as clubs take scientific approach to refuelling their stars
ROMELU LUKAKU was heading to his seat in the Finch Farm canteen carrying a plate of bagels when Everton’s nutritionist spotted something was not right.
‘Where is the protein on that?’ he whispered in Lukaku’s ear.
So back went the striker, then playing for the Goodison club, to add some poached eggs and only then did his breakfast tick all the right nutritional boxes.
Footballers’ diets have come a long way. Gone are the days of grabbing a McDonald’s on the way to training Matt Le Tissierstyle, Steve Bould scoffing nine dinners in an eating competition on the way back from a game or Steve Howey guzzling beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In the pursuit of marginal gains, feeding footballers is now a science with no stone left unturned. Banning condiments, a familiar move by new managers, is just the tip of the iceberg.
‘Nutrition can make at least a 10 per cent difference between when you get it wrong and you get it right,’ said Don Maclaren, the UK’s first ever professor of sports nutrition.
It is no wonder, then, that new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has tweaked the club’s approach in his bid to whip his stars into shape by banning alcohol during match weeks, revamping the club’s menu and insisting they eat club-prepared meals rather than those served up by personal chefs.
When Maclaren — a former nutrition adviser to clubs such as Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City — started working in football in the mid-90s, teams had little to work with in terms of facilities.
It was no surprise if players skipped eating at training grounds, instead heading to nearby eateries, missing a vital post-training window of opportunity to ‘carb up’.
Now many clubs, particularly in the top two divisions, boast restaurant-quality facilities and, while the types of food on the menu may not surprise, it is the level of detail that stands out.
Players know how much they should be consuming. It is often determined by the day of the week and factors such as how far they are between games, recent workload and their own individual calorie needs influenced by factors including their position and size.
There are some big eaters across the Premier League, such as the London-based defender who is often seen with two dishes on the go or with a plate piled high with the main attraction of his meal on top of pasta or rice.
What players eat is planned in conjunction with club nutritionists, sports scientists and chefs. Those staff are now full-time, a stark contrast to the days when clubs had just one person, occasionally a student intern, visiting every now and then to give food advice. Forward-thinking Norwich have gone further, attributing a value to each item on their menu and a total score permitted for each player’s meal.
At some clubs managers want their players to have finished eating breakfast two hours before training so food is fully digested. One former Premier League manager once banned red meat the night before games.
After training, lunch is served. Chicken, fish and vegan or vegetarian dishes can be found, along with carbohydrate sources like lik pasta, t rice, i potatoes t t and d other vegetables.
Popular specials like fillet steak, salmon teriyaki, black cod or honey- mustard pork are occasionally added to menus. ‘Whatever concoction they want they can get,’ one source said.
Ben Chilwell’s social media exposing of Reece James’ lunch of chicken, pasta, broccoli, pineapple, strawberries and mayonnaise last season was a good example. When players are away from their clubs the onus is on them to stay disciplined.
‘I remember a young Steven Gerrard and Eric Dier being lads who listened carefully,’ Maclaren said. ‘They asked for guidelines on breakfast and dinner and said, “We’re printing this out and putting it on the fridge”.
‘Phil Neville was at the tail-end of his career when he came to Everton. Sometimes his diet was a little too carb-focused and we needed to reduce it, put a little bit more protein in for example.’
Sylvain Distin’s preference for a rump steak on training day was another thing Maclaren tweaked to introduce more variety.
‘Older players want to listen because they want to prolong their careers,’ he said.
United are now offering a mealson-wheels service so players can get food delivered to their homes. Some clubs put on cooking courses for players and parents.
Norwich even have an app for players p and staff with bespoke meal plans, cooking instructions and advice down to the tiniest detail, d like the right oils to use.
Consumption around match days d is vitally important. Big carb c servings are needed the night n before games and an array of options to provide more energy are often awaiting players in the dressing d room before kick-off.
Bananas, rice cakes, cereal bars, sweets, beetroot juices, caffeine shots and electrolyte drinks are all a common.
In keeping with a long-held belief that for 24 hours after a game players can eat what they want, it is not unusual for clubs to receive big pizza delivieries after matches. But there is now an increasing emphasis on limiting i the dietary damage footballers fo do their bodies.
For home games clubs have more m scope to lay on dressingroom ro spreads with healthier but still s appealing food such as chicken skewers, burgers, chilli, sushi, fruit pots and protein p shakes.
After away games, players return r on planes or buses with on-board kitchens where food can be prepped and served.
Some stars feel they have the metabolism to burn through enough calories during the week to indulge in a takeaway every now and then. The issue is how much they are monitored — in some cases, every morning.
It is not just their weight being checked but other indicators, including fat and muscle percentages. United’s players have their BMI checked monthly.
The numbers do not lie and often come with repercussions for the modern- day Premier League star.