Öz
Talent identification in football corresponds to the adolescent period which with biological maturation differences. To support the best professional player candidate, performance variables are analyzed at an early age. In this study, individual league performances of adolescent football players were evaluated among those who were invited and non-invited to choose the national team. 2050 adolescent male football players were retrospectively studied and compared with 213 players who were invited to the national football team camp. The total number of games played, total minutes played, number of goals scored, and the number of yellow and red cards received were evaluated. The aged was 13.1±0.6 (12- 14) and mostly was born in 2003. Among those invited to the camp mostly was the first birth quartile (Q1) n=122 (57.3%) and 14 years old n=90 (42.3%). The game number, total playing minutes, goal scored was higher in the invited group (p<0.001). Generally, although the game number, goal score, total minutes played were higher in the Q1 group (p<0.001), it was not shown in the invited group (p>0.05). It was seen that there is an advantage for the first age quarter talent selection in football. However, while this advantage disappears within the invited group for the national team camp, it continues in the non-invited group.