Virtual reality could help footballers improve their heading without the repetitive head impacts from a ball, a new study indicates.
Players involved in a study at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport and its Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences demonstrated greater performance in ‘real world’ heading after training with a VR headset compared to a control group who did no training.
The VR group also reported greater self-confidence and efficacy in their heading compared to the control group, the study found.
The study, titled: ‘A preliminary investigation into the efficacy of training soccer heading in immersive virtual reality’, has been published in the journal Virtual Reality on Tuesday.
It provides some insights into …
Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has returned to Germany to join Werder Bremen after the expiration of his contract at Anfield.
The Guinea international’s £52million move to Merseyside from RB Leipzig in 2018 came with high expectations. However, he disappointed in his 129 appearances over five years as he struggled to get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League and missed large amounts of time with a series of injuries.
The 28-year-old featured just 13 times last season, was left out of the Champions League squad due to injury, and started only three Premier League matches.
Bremen will hope the midfielder’s return to the Bundesliga will bring a change of luck after scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists in 58 matches for Leipzig before …
Lionel Messi s motivation and hunger to succeed at Barcelona has never been in question, according to head coach Ronald Koeman.
The Argentina international failed in his attempt to engineer a move away from Camp Nou during the close-season but is set to become a free agent at the end of the campaign.
He has not always been at his best this season and has admitted in a new interview with LaSexta that the saga surrounding his future has affected his performances.
The truth is today I m fine, Messi said in a short excerpt released by RAC1 on Monday. Today I m fine and I feel like fighting seriously for everything we have ahead of us.
I m excited. I know the club is going through a difficult time, at club and team level, and it is difficult everything that …
With a stacked schedule from across the footballing globe, we are treated to a host of intriguing affairs this weekend. On that note, for those of you looking to stick on a Sunday acca, we have found a trio of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Sunday July 9th:
BST 00:30 New York Red Bulls vs New England Revolution
Putting in another action-packed display last weekend as they snatched a 2-2 draw away at Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati, New England are certainly enjoying a hugely impressive flurry. Along with clinching back-to-back 3-1 victories against Orlando and Inter Miami on either side of June’s international break, Bruce Arena’s men will be desperate to make another MLS statement in the early hours of Sunday. Unbeaten in each of their…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed Bruno Fernandes risk-taking and explained how he gave Paul Pogba the freedom to inspire Manchester United to a 5-1 opening-day demolition of Leeds United.
Fernandes scored his first United hat-trick, the 10th opening-day treble in Premier League history, while Pogba laid on four assists to kick-start their challenge to dethrone Manchester City in style.
Pogba is the seventh player to assist four goals in the same Premier League game, his performance serving as an emphatic demonstration of his quality amid speculation over his future with the France star s contract set to expire at the end of the season.
On Saturday s evidence, Fernandes and Pogba can successfully spearhead United s quest for their first Premier League title since 2013,…
Rafael Nadal requested that his opening match at the Madrid Open does not clash with his beloved Real Madrid s Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, according to tournament director Feliciano Lopez.
Nadal, who has won the Madrid Open on five occasions, will face Serbia s Miomir Kecmanovic in the round of 32 on Wednesday, the same day Los Blancos bid to overturn a 4-3 first-leg deficit against Pep Guardiola s team at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 21-time grand slam winner is known to be an avid supporter of Madrid and was invited to take an honorary kick-off before Carlo Ancelotti s team wrapped up their 35th league title with a 4-0 win over Espanyol at the weekend.
Lopez confirmed Nadal s request to Spanish radio network Cadena SER on Tuesday.
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Reims are flying under head coach Will Still and remain undefeated in Ligue 1 since the Belgian-born Englishman took charge in October.
A goal from Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun sealed a 1-0 win at Monaco on Sunday, taking Reims into eighth place and closer to European qualification.
Still is only the second boss to remain unbeaten in his first 17 games (W9 D8) in the top-five European leagues in the 21st century, after Tito Vilanova with Barcelona in 2012-13 (18).
The 30-year-old is astonishingly costing the French club €25,000 per game in fines due to not having a UEFA Pro Licence under Ligue 1 rules.
It is clearly worth it, though, with Reims having kept six consecutive clean sheets in the league, establishing their longest run without conceding a g…
Milan host Liverpool knowing they need a win to keep their Champions League hopes alive in one of the headline fixtures on Tuesday.
Real Madrid and Inter meet in a battle for top spot in Group D, with both already qualified as the Italian side travel to Spain with a woeful recent record.
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are already through in Group A as well, with Lionel Messi aiming to follow in the footsteps of George Weah and Neymar at home to Club Brugge.
Stats Perform takes a look at the key Opta data behind the next set of matches.
Players to watch in a couple of huge fixtures on Matchday 6 | |
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
Milan v Liverpool: Reds eye English record
Milan are searching for their f…
England boss Roy Hodgson will be happy with his teams draw for the Euro 2016 qualifiers
England have been handed what has been described by many as an ‘easy draw’ for qualifying for Euro 2016.
However, no matter who England draws the Three Lions seem to make a meal of qualification, as the likes of Germany and Spain cruise through qualification campaigns.
England have been drawn in a group with Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, San Marino and Lithuania for Euro 2016 qualification.
England’s opponents are not exactly stellar names in European or world football, but neither were Poland or Ukraine and England did not exactly cover themselves in glory against those nations in World Cup qualification.
Comfortable
In truth a national team t…
Gavi has signed a new deal with Barcelona through to 2026, with a buyout clause of €1billion.
The 18-year-old midfielder has been a revelation since breaking through to the Barca first team, and has become a key part of Xavi s side.
Gavi has already made 54 appearances in all competitions for the Blaugrana, having joined the club from Real Betis as a youngster in 2015 before emerging through the Catalan giants famed La Masia.
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