About Gregory Everett Link to heading

I’m Gregory, a data scientist at Sport Republic, where I use data and AI to support decision-making at Southampton FC, Göztepe S.K. and Valenciennes FC. I’m also completing a PhD at the University of Southampton, studying how AI can help football clubs solve real, everyday problems – not just predict who might win the league.

How I Got Here Link to heading

I fell into this area almost by accident. During my computer science degree, I found myself drawn to machine learning modules. As a football fan, I began to wonder if there were ways that the vast amount of data surrounding the sport could be utilised more effectively. It turns out there were, and that became the basis of my PhD. From the outset, my aim was practical: to build AI and analytics that inform real-world decisions in football clubs. That’s now what I do day-to-day at Sport Republic.

What Drives My Work Link to heading

What fascinates me most is how football clubs make decisions. They’re dealing with millions of pounds worth of player assets, trying to balance performance with injury risk, and often working with incomplete information. It’s precisely the sort of messy, high-stakes problem that AI should be helping with.

My PhD research treats football teams as multi-agent systems - groups of intelligent agents (players) who need to coordinate effectively. I employ techniques such as reinforcement learning and graph neural networks to understand how teams collaborate and how individual player contributions impact overall performance.

One project I’m particularly proud of involves a team selection model that accounts for player injury risks. The model has shown that it could reduce first-team injuries by around 13% whilst cutting the money clubs inefficiently spend on injured players by 11% and maintaining on-pitch team performance. For a Premier League club, that’s potentially millions saved and, more importantly, player careers protected.

I’m also working on making advanced analytics accessible to smaller clubs. Many insights require expensive tracking data that only clubs in the top leagues can afford. I’ve developed methods to extract similar information from basic event data, which somewhat levels the playing field for the clubs without access to tracking data.

Industry Experience Link to heading

Industry experience and collaboration has been central to my work and learning how AI can be used most effectively within football clubs. Throughout my PhD, I worked with Sentient Sports, which ensured my research stayed grounded in practical club needs rather than purely academic theory. It’s one thing to publish a paper; it’s another to see your work directly influence decisions at a club.

At Sport Republic, I’ve deepened my experience in aligning data and AI with the needs of coaches, scouts and video analysts. Consistent collaboration with these experts is what leads to the most effective, impactful data solutions.

My Philosophy Link to heading

What drives me is the belief that AI works best when it augments human expertise rather than replacing it. Football people understand the game in ways that no algorithm ever will. But with the right tools, AI can provide valuable insights and evidence, helping decision-makers make more informed, confident choices.

I’m always interested in discussing this work with others, whether you’re from academia, industry, or just curious about where sports analytics is heading.

Email: greg@sportrepublic.com