Football CV Example

Format and length

Keep your football CV to one or two pages maximum. Scouts and coaches review dozens of CVs per week and will not read long paragraphs. Use a clean, scannable layout with clear section headings. Save as PDF to preserve formatting, and keep file size under 2 MB so it opens quickly on mobile devices.

Section order

For a player CV, open with:

1. Contact details and a professional action photo (in kit, on pitch)
2. Physical attributes block (height, weight, preferred foot, age/DOB, nationality, relocation willingness)
3. Playing positions (main and secondary)
4. Personal statement (2-3 sentences: level, position, defining trait)
5. Playing history (club, age category, league tier, dates, match stats)
6. Highlight reel and full-match footage links
7. Injury history (if significant)
8. Trials and academy spells
9. Education and football qualifications
10. Additional info (languages, interests, safeguarding certificates)

For a coaching CV, lead with your highest coaching licence in the personal statement, then list coaching experience with team outcomes (win rate, promotions, player progression). Include safeguarding, first aid, and DBS certificates in a dedicated section.

What to include per section

Physical attributes and positions

Scouts use height, weight, preferred foot, age, and nationality for positional and squad-fit assessments. Put these near the top in a dedicated block, not buried at the end. If you are willing to relocate for the right opportunity, say so.

List your primary and secondary playing positions honestly. Do not claim you can play every role. A central midfielder who lists "Main: CM, Secondary: CDM" is more credible than one who lists five positions.

Playing history

Present each club as a separate entry with:

• Club name
• Age category (U16, U18, U23, senior)
• League tier and country (e.g. National League South, Step 2, England)
• Dates (month and year)
• Match statistics per season: appearances (starts), goals, assists, minutes per game, clean sheets (for goalkeepers and defenders), disciplinary record (yellow and red cards)

Do not write generic job bullets like "responsible for attacking play." Quantify with real numbers: "32 appearances (28 starts), 9 goals, 11 assists in National League U18 Alliance (Tier 6 youth level)." League level and age category tell a scout the standard you competed at.

Highlight reel and footage

Include a public link to a 1-2 minute highlight reel (YouTube, Vimeo, or Google Drive) showing your best moments from recent matches. Ideally, also offer full-match footage so scouts can assess your positioning, decision-making, and work rate over 90 minutes. Make sure the footage matches the claims on your CV. A dead link or private video kills your credibility.

Injury disclosure

If you have had a significant injury (ACL, broken bone, long-term muscle tear), disclose it transparently: the injury, recovery time, and current fitness status. Clubs assess durability before committing, and hiding a major injury that surfaces in a medical kills the deal. Frame it positively: "Sustained ACL injury (October 2023), underwent surgery November 2023, returned to full training February 2025, no complications. Current fitness: 100%."

Trials and academy spells

List trials, academy spells, and scholarship programmes explicitly, even if unsuccessful. A trial invitation signals you have been scouted at a level. Format these the same way you list playing history: club/academy name, dates, and a brief note on the outcome or feedback received.

The result-plus-metric pattern

Football CVs live or die on numbers. Scouts compare players and coaches by objective data, so every bullet should follow the pattern: action + outcome + metric.

Player example (weak):

Played as a winger for the U18s and contributed to the team's success.

Player example (strong):

32 appearances (28 starts), 9 goals, 11 assists in National League U18 Alliance (Tier 6 youth level), helping team finish 3rd in league.

Coaching example (weak):

Coached the U16s and improved team performance through better training sessions.

Coaching example (strong):

Increased win rate from 42% to 71% over two seasons by monitoring team strengths and weaknesses and implementing structured training plans.

Role-specific metrics

Before and after bullets

Before:

Responsible for midfield play and supporting the attack.

After:

38 appearances (36 starts), 4 goals, 7 assists in Southern League Premier Division South (Step 3), averaging 86 minutes per match.

Before:

Worked with the U14s to develop their skills and confidence.

After:

Coached U14 squad (18 players) to West Riding County FA Cup semi-final, improving team win rate from 35% to 58% by introducing game-based training and individual development plans.

Before:

Helped the team win the league title.

After:

Captained team to Western League title (2022/23) and promotion to Step 4, maintaining 88% pass completion rate in final third.

Action verbs for football CVs

Players: Scored, assisted, captained, competed, started, appeared, helped, maintained, selected, represented, progressed, recovered

Coaches: Developed, improved, coached, planned, delivered, recruited, identified, implemented, collaborated, achieved, reduced, progressed

Avoid passive or vague verbs like "was responsible for," "involved in," or "participated in." Lead with the action and the outcome.

Academic qualifications

List school and university qualifications in reverse chronological order. For players, include A-Levels, BTECs, or degrees that show you can balance football with education. For coaches and managers, a degree in sports coaching, sports science, or physical education adds credibility, but it is not essential if you have the right coaching badges.

If you are still studying, write "in progress" and include your expected grades or graduation date.

Football coaching pathway (UK)

The UK coaching ladder runs:

1. Introduction to Coaching Football – Entry-level, no prerequisites
2. FA Level 1 in Coaching Football – Grassroots coaching
3. FA Level 2 in Coaching Football – Youth and adult coaching
4. UEFA C Licence – Academy and semi-professional coaching
5. UEFA B Licence – Academy lead coach, assistant first-team coach
6. UEFA A Licence – First-team manager (Step 2 and below), academy manager
7. UEFA Pro Licence – Required for permanent Premier League and EFL manager roles

State the exact badge you hold. It gates which roles you are eligible for. A UEFA B Licence is the minimum for most academy lead-coach posts. A UEFA A Licence is expected for first-team management at Step 2 and above.

Mandatory certificates for coaching and academy roles

Clubs legally require:

• FA Safeguarding Children Certificate – Renewed every three years
• Emergency First Aid in Football – Renewed every three years
• Enhanced DBS Check – Renewed annually or when changing clubs

List these in a dedicated section or under "Additional Information." Missing any of these will disqualify you from grassroots and academy posts, so keep them current and include the renewal dates.

Player coaching badges

Even if you are applying as a player, list any coaching badges you hold (Introduction to Coaching, FA Level 1, UEFA C). They signal tactical understanding and a post-playing pathway, which appeals to clubs looking for future coaches or player-coaches.