Esports-Saints academy experts help Venn gear up for ePremier League finals

Aug 10 (Reuters) - Southampton have spared no effort in preparing their esports player Owen Venn for the 2020 ePremier League finals which begin on Thursday, inviting him to meet experts at their academy to maximise his potential.

Venn, who reached the semi-finals of last year's tournament, paid a visit to Southampton's elite Staplewood training campus where their head of psychology Malcolm Frame conducted a psychometric assessment.

Sports psychologists Ana Soares and Amy Spencer, who work with the first team, spoke to Venn about mindfulness exercises and breathing techniques. He also went through a cryotherapy session with a focus on improving his sleep.

"This was an incredible opportunity for me to learn from the staff at a club which has such a great reputation for developing talent and which has produced some of the world's most famous footballers over the years," Venn told the club's website.

"It has helped me a lot with my mindset and my understanding of what is required to maximise my potential, as well as how to give myself the best chance of performing under pressure.

"I am so grateful to the club's staff and players for devoting their time to me and sharing their expertise. It's up to me now to put what I have learned into practice."

Venn, who plays under the gamer tag SaintsVenny, also had the opportunity to show off his skills as he teamed up with Saints striker Danny Ings to take on Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond in a game of FIFA 20.

The ePremier League, which pits the world's top FIFA 20 players against each other, is set to resume after an extended hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)