Football Manager and Watford FC unite to help develop program to help you match incredible fitness levels of a professional footballer

Want to run as fast as Cristiano Ronaldo or defend as strongly as Vincent Kompany? Then give this training program a shot

Football Manager creators Sports Interactive have teamed up with Watford FC’s Sports Scientists to help devise a six-point workout that will help you to reach the incredible fitness levels required to be a professional footballer.

While leg strength is a given – especially for those of you aspiring to match the pace of Cristiano Ronaldo or resemble a defensive rock like Vincent Kompany – a number of lesser known fitness tips will help you achieve the dream of becoming a professional footballer.

As part of Football Manager 2015, the latest instalment of the hugely popular simulation series that was released on 7 November, you can use these training methods to help perfect individual training programs for every single member of your squad.

Be it shredding the pounds in pre-season or topping up those accuracy levels when in front of goal, training modules can be combined and created in order to maximise a players ability.

So what are the workouts in question?

1. Build you core strength

How it helps:

Defending - build stronger legs to propel tackles and move quickly and dynamically to mark and defend against opposing players

Exercise: Adductor Slide Board Eccentrics

What it does: Conditions abductors, adductors, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluts while improving core strength, balance and agility as you move from side to side. Common position defenders get in when sliding into tackles.

Sets & Reps: 3 x 8 e/s

Technique:

Stand on the slide board with the outside of one foot against the end block

Push off the block with your left foot, sliding on your right foot to the other end block.

Engage your adductors by bending your right knee and lowering your body almost into a squat position

Keep your left leg straight and drag it down the board, then slide the left leg in while straightening your right leg

Bring your feet in together without lifting your left foot off the board

Sliding your left leg in uses the muscles in your inner thigh

Keep your weight on your right foot while you cross your left foot in front of it with your left foot flexed for an adductor lift

Move your left foot back to the slide board in a fluid motion and push off with your right foot, sliding to the left end block. Repeat the exercise with the right leg

2. Strengthen your legs

How it helps: Defending - build stronger legs to propel tackles and move quickly and dynamically to mark and defend against opposing players

Exercise: Resistance band press and lateral lunge

What it does: Helps defenders build stronger legs within the shutting down position of a forward

Sets & Reps: 3 x 8 e/s

Technique:

Strap a Resistance Band round your waist with a belt.

Once Secured you must lateral shuffle out till the rope is tight.

Once here lunge lateral and then transfer your weight back to the starting position.

This is repeated and both legs.

3. Focus on building muscle

How it helps: Attacking - A lower body strength programme to help players kick further than the furthest kick last season and quick acceleration to cut through an opposing team’s defence

Exercise: Adductor TRX

What it does: Improves balance and strengthens key muscles involved in passing and change of direction

Sets & Reps: 3 x 8 e/s

Technique:

Stand side on to TRX with closest foot in handle.

Slowly Squat down with the standing leg keeping the back straight and knee over the foot.

Extend back up with the standing leg and kick across the body with opposite foot.

4. Never underestimate agility

How it helps: Attacking - A lower body strength programme to help players kick further than the furthest kick last season and quick acceleration to cut through an opposing team’s defence

Exercise: Hex Bar Deadlift (Triple Extension)

What it does: Improves lower limb power and jumping

Sets & Reps: 3 x 6

Technique:

Stand in the centre with feet shoulder width apart and hold both handles.

Keep the back straight, lower your hips and look forwards keeping the chest up.

Drive through the heels and powerfully extend the hips and knees.

Push up onto the toes and shrug to ensure triple extension.

Lower the bar back to the ground under control with good posture.

5. Goalkeepers don’t neglect their legs

How it helps: Goal Keeping - strengthens core muscles and co-ordination of the upper body

Exercise: TRX Single Leg Jump (on Box)

What it does: Improve a goalkeepers ‘spring’ when coming out for crosses

Sets & Reps: 3 x 8

Technique:

Place back foot in TRX.

Start with standing foot underneath your body.

Dip down with the front leg keeping the body straight and knee in line with foot.

Drive back up and propel yourself in the air.

Drive the back leg forward to a high knee position.

Ensure you control the landing absorbing the force through your knee and hip.

Advance this by jumping onto a box.

6. Define your kicking action

How it helps: Goal Keeping - Strengthens core muscles and co-ordination of the upper body

Exercise: Resistance Cord Kicking

What it does: Improves strength in kicking action

Sets & Reps: 3 x 12 each leg

Technique:

Attach resistance cord to ankle.

Keep tension in the cord.

Step forward and kick through