Meath-based football scientist on board with Scotland for Euro 2020

Meath-based football scientist Shayne Murphy will be part of the Scotland backroom team for Euro 2020 next June.

Murphy, whose clients include the Scottish national team, will be travelling to the tournament after Scotland came through a penalty shoot-out against Serbia to qualify for their first major tournament since 1998.

His company, SDM Performance, will have a key role in Scotland's Euro 2020 Group D clashes against Croatia, Czech Republic and England in June 2021.

The football scientist will be responsible for ensuring the Scottish players are physically prepared for the demands of training and games throughout the tournament.

Originally from Rathcormac in Cork, but now based in Meath, he worked in elite football for over 11 years with clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool before returning to Ireland early this year.

His goal was to bring the same level of expertise and insight he brought to working with footballers of the calibre of Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho to the Irish market through his company SDM Performance.

“For athletes, assessment usually stems from a movement efficiency standpoint and branches out from there," he explained.

"Trying to identify what each athlete’s function is like at the foot, hip and spine and in all three planes of motion in addition to what that means for their sport is a lengthy process, but an extremely rewarding one for the athlete.

"They often have a functioning system (body) that has many energy leaks and they lose force or power because they haven’t trained themselves to be efficient," he added.

SDM Performance has bases in Ashbourne and Navan and ongoing client relationships with the Scottish FA and City Football Group – the company that owns Manchester City - and a host of other football clubs around the world.

Leaving his role as a sports scientist and strength and conditioning coach with Manchester City in December 2019 was a huge step, but Murphy was keen to expand his skills and knowledge across other sports and industries.

When he returned to Ireland he was a participant on the Back For Business programme which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and supports returned emigrants who are early-stage entrepreneurs.

“As my roles involve travelling abroad and around the country I work out of Crossfit Meath in both Navan and Ashbourne,” he told the Meath Chronicle.

The locations are: CrossFit Meath, Unit 20D, Ashbourne Buisness Centre, Ballybin Road, Ashbourne and CrossFit Meath, Athlumney, Navan.