Tottenham Hotspur: Advanced New Kit Could Show How Tired Players Are

Just last week, Tottenham Hotspur announced that they'd signed a new kit deal with American Sports company Under Armour. 

The deal lasts five years and will begin in 2012, when the club's current kit deal with Puma runs out.

Since the announcement however, Under Armour has confirmed that they will be looking to include their E39 technology in the new Tottenham kits.

This "E39" technology comprises of many tiny sensors within the shirt that measure variables of the person wearing it and send regular updates back to laptops.

The sensors are able to measure many things that could affect a player during a game, including heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature.

There are also hopes within the company that they can develop the sensors to measure a player's performance aspects, including things like acceleration and pace.

All of this adds up to a new future for football kits.

If Tottenham were to use this technology, it would give the team the ability to find out exactly how tired players are, what their condition is and how well they are statistically performing.

In fact, the nearest thing to compare the technology to is the football management simulation games such as Championship Manager and Football Manager, in which the condition and performance of all players is detailed.

Under Armour's executive vice president, Mark Dowley, said of the technology:

"We can metrically tell you what is happening to the body of somebody kicking a penalty in front of 60,000 people. You can watch his heart rate as he waits to take the kick. For the first time you can see inside an athlete as they perform. It adds to the drama."

The results of the technology may also be made available to fans' smart phones, although that could also provide valuable information to opposition managers as well.

Mark Dowley later added: "You could also tell who the best conditioned athlete is on the pitch and over the season, and when to pull a player out because he’s worn out."

Dowley also said that he believes the technology being used at Tottenham would be only the first step to it being employed right around the Premier League.

The E39 technology is also being used in the NFL for many training situations and was launched at the NFL Combine last month.

This technology would, however, need clearance from FIFA before it is allowed to be used in matches, although there is still a chance that it could be used in training facilities in the meantime.

As Tottenham look to grow significantly as a club, they may also be the forerunners in a significant development in football.