This week it was revealed that Premier League clubs are bringing fewer players through their academies to the first team than in any of Europe’s other major leagues. There are many reasons for this, but one begins at birth. A baby born at the start of the school year in the UK has a head start in life, sometimes literally. They will be older, bigger and more mature than many of their school year peers. That helps them academically and also, since most age-group cut-off dates follow the school year, in sport.