OPN expands player platform with intelligence tool and grassroots app

OPN has launched two products aimed at helping professional clubs interpret player data and grassroots teams manage development and administration, extending its technology across different levels of football.OPN Intelligence adds analysis and automated reporting to its athlete management platform, while the OPN PLAY grassroots app gives young players a portable football record alongside tools for parents, coaches and club volunteers.Former professional footballer Aaron Wildig said: “Clubs are collecting more information than ever before, but one of the biggest questions we hear is still very simple: what does it actually mean?“That is the problem we want OPN Intelligence to help solve. Clubs don't just need more dashboards, more reports or more raw data. They need clear information they can understand quickly and use in real situations.”The intelligence tool allows staff to ask questions about information held within OPN, covering availability, workload, wellness, performance and injury records.It can identify patterns across squads, generate reports and automate regular updates, alongside practical tasks such as creating calendar events and training programmes.The product targets a resource gap between collecting information and having sufficient staff time or analytical expertise to use it.Wildig explained: “A coach might want to know which players are carrying the highest workload after a match, a physio might want to look at injury patterns, or a manager might want a simple Monday morning report showing who is ready, who needs monitoring and what has changed across the squad.“We want clubs to be able to ask those questions inside OPN and get practical answers without needing a team of analysts or data scientists behind them.”The launch builds on OPN’s partnership with Opta to integrate football data into its Digital Athlete Passport and wider management platform.OPN says it works with more than 50 professional clubs across the UK and serves as Official Digital Athlete Passport partner of the Professional Footballers’ Association’s pre-season programme for out-of-contract players.Its grassroots app extends the passport concept to younger players, allowing profiles to develop across clubs, trials, development centres and academy environments.Wildig said: “This is about helping players build a record of their football journey from an earlier age, while giving parents, coaches and clubs better tools to manage the practical side of the game.“A young player might be at a grassroots club, a development centre, a trial event and then hopefully an academy environment. Too often, information gets lost between those different settings, so we want to help create a smoother pathway where the player’s record can travel with them.”Player profiles can include appearances, goals, assists, coach feedback, training activity, video and development milestones.Parents can access schedules, availability, payments and communications, while coaches and administrators can manage attendance, playing time, memberships, match reports and safeguarding information according to their roles.Optional development features cover nutrition logging, recovery guidance, wellness, strength and conditioning, and preparation for trials.OPN’s core platform remains free, with Intelligence offered as an optional value-added service as the company develops additional services, integrations and partnerships.Wildig added: “The best technology should make that easier, not add another layer of admin. If we can help coaches plan sessions, track minutes, manage availability and give feedback more easily, the benefit should be felt by players, parents and clubs.”