Youth Soccer Coaching Player Development Podcast

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COACHING FAMILY SPECIAL

Which academy is best for your child?

For parents lucky enough to have a choice, it's the million-dollar question. Which academy should they join? Which one will help them fulfil their potential? And how do you even begin to compare them?

Former Arsenal Academy coach Alex Nichols joins Saul to talk about the academy environment from the inside, and to help parents answer one of the toughest decisions they'll ever face.

We get into:

What really makes one academy better than another

Why the "biggest" club isn't always the best choice

What to look for in the coaching, the environment and the pathway

The questions every parent should ask before signing

How to choose the academy that's right for your child

Whether you're a parent facing this decision, a player weighing up your options, or a coach advising families, this is one you need to hear.

Master the ball. Master the game.

🔥 The 121 Coaching Course is £399 until 31 October: https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/mpfc-121-coaching-course/

Are English players as good as the French and Spanish?

For years, France and Spain have been held up as the gold standard of player development. Technically sharper, tactically smarter, better prepared for the top level. But has England caught up?

Alex Nichols, formerly of Arsenal's Academy, joins Saul to debate it. They look at how English players compare with their French and Spanish counterparts, what each country does differently in its academies, and where England still has work to do.

We get into:

How English players compare technically and tactically

What France and Spain do differently in development

The strengths English academies have that others don't

What still needs to change in the English system

What coaches at every level can take from all three countries

Whether you coach grassroots, run 1-2-1 sessions, or work in an academy, this is a debate every coach will have an opinion on.

Master the ball. Master the game.

Get 20% off the 121 Coaches Course now: https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/mpfc-121-coaching-course/

🎙️ NEW PODCAST

What really goes on behind the scenes at one of the best academies in European football?

Feyenoord U21 coach David Toxopeus joins Saul to take you inside. Feyenoord has a long history of developing players who go on to play in Europe's top five leagues, and David has worked through the academy, including winning the national championship with the U15s.

They talk about how Feyenoord identifies and develops players, what the pathway from academy to first team really looks like, and what young players have to do to make it at the top level.

We get into:

The Feyenoord way of developing players

What happens day to day behind the scenes at the academy

Technical and Tactical Periodisation

How they set up on game day

Whether you coach grassroots, run 1-2-1 sessions, or work in an academy, this is a rare look inside one of Europe's top player development factories.

Master the ball. Master the game.

Get 20% off the 121 Coaches Course now

https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/mpfc-121-coaching-course/

Episode 150. And who better to celebrate it with than Michael Beale.

Michael returns to the show to talk about his new role as Head Coach of Zulte Waregem in the Belgian Pro League, and about the topic every coach wrestles with: planning.

Whether you're working in a first-team environment or at grassroots, and whether you see your players every day or only for one or two hours a week, how you plan decides how much your players improve. Michael explains how he approaches it, and what changes when time is short.

Few coaches have seen the game from as many angles. Michael came through the academy system at Chelsea and Liverpool, and has since worked in first-team football as both an assistant and a head coach, managing QPR, Rangers and Sunderland before taking on his new challenge in Belgium.

We get into:

Life and coaching in Belgian football

How to plan a week, a month and a season

Getting the most out of one or two hours a week with your players

What stays the same from academy to first team, and what doesn't

The lessons from working at every level of the game

Whether you coach grassroots, run 1-2-1 sessions, work in an academy or in the first-team game, this is one not to be missed.

Develop The Individual. Not The System.

Join the Surrey Football Coaches Association now: https://www.surreyfootballcoachesassociation.com

What if you only get your players for one or two hours a week?

That's the reality for most coaches. One session. Sixty minutes. And every one of those minutes has to count.

In this Coaching Family Special, I'm joined by Keith Boanas to talk about planning and effective session design. How do you maximise your time on the pitch when time is the one thing you don't have?

Keith has spent decades in the game. He's been an FA coach developer, he's coached in the women's professional game, and he's worked at international level. He's also one of the biggest influences on Saul's coaching methodology and his career. A lot of what he does today with players at academy and professional level started with conversations with Keith.

We get into:

How to plan a session so nothing is wasted

Why ball rolling time matters more than the drill itself

Designing practices that transfer into the game

What to prioritise when you only have one hour

The lessons that shaped both of our careers

We also talk about the Surrey Football Coaches Association, which has been developing coaches of every level since 1965. If you coach in Surrey or nearby, their demo sessions are one of the best ways to learn from experienced coaches and meet others doing the same job. The link is at the top.

Whether you coach grassroots, run 1-2-1 sessions, or work in an academy, this one will change how you plan your week.

Develop The Individual. Not The System.

Check out Saul’s Game Changer presentation that he’s delivered at not only some of the best Premier League academies in the country but clubs and Federations around the world

https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/developing-the-game-changer/

Rhys Carr has had an illustrious career in the game already. Working his way up from academy football all the way to first team individual specialist at some of the biggest clubs in the Championship and beyond — Swansea, Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bristol City and most recently Coventry City.

At Coventry he was supporting first team players with their individual needs — and when the manager got sacked, Rhys stepped in as caretaker manager.

That tells you everything about the respect he’s earned in the game.

This is a fascinating conversation about what it really takes to develop players at the highest level, what first team players actually need from individual coaching, and what the journey from academy specialist to first team looks like from the inside.

If you’re serious about individual development and building a career in coaching — this one is not to be missed.

Check out Saul’s Game Changer presentation that he’s delivered at not only some of the best Premier League academies in the country but clubs and Federations around the world

https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/developing-the-game-changer/

This week I sat down with Simon Clark — Under 18s Coach at AFC Wimbledon.

Simon’s journey is one of the most inspiring I’ve come across in football. Making it as a player relatively late in his career before transitioning into coaching — he’s worked at several clubs before landing his current role at AFC Wimbledon.

And what makes Simon’s story so compelling is how his own journey has directly shaped his coaching philosophy.

He knows what it takes to get the extra out of players. To push them beyond what they think they’re capable of. To develop young players at a club that consistently punches above its weight at academy level.

AFC Wimbledon might not have the resources of the big clubs. But under coaches like Simon, they develop players with something money can’t buy — character, work ethic and genuine technical quality.

This one is not to be missed.

Luka Lalić got his big break in academy football with an internship at the world-famous Feyenoord Academy, which turned into a full-time role. He progressed to Head of Methodology and International Development before returning to Southeast Asia, where he'd worked previously, to take up an exciting new role with Lion City Sailors in Singapore — where he is now Technical Director. Lion City Sailors is one of the most exciting club projects in the region. Luka joined Saul to tell his story.

Saul is joined by Richard Walker — Under 18s Head Coach at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Richard has had a fascinating journey in football. Coming off a successful playing career, he began his coaching life at Stoke City within the foundation phase — learning his trade from the ground up before working his way through the academy structure.

He then joined Wolverhampton Wanderers where he’s risen to become Under 18s Head Coach — and has also had experience with the first team as caretaker coach.

In this episode Richard and Saul discuss his coaching journey, what he’s learned along the way, and what it takes to develop players at one of the best academies in the country.

A brilliant conversation for any coach serious about their development and career in the game.

Listen now 👇

David Webb was until very recently Assistant Coach at Georgia national team and has worked with some of the most talented players in world football — including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the PSG sensation taking European football by storm.

In this episode David talks about one of the most important and challenging questions in elite coaching — how do you challenge the very best players in the world while still ensuring every player in the squad is catered for?

It’s a conversation that gets to the heart of individual development. How do you raise the ceiling for your elite players without raising the floor too high for everyone else? How do you keep the best hungry while keeping the rest engaged?

David’s experience at the highest level of international football gives him a unique perspective on this — and his answers will challenge how you think about developing players at any level.

This podcast is part of the Developing The Game Changer series — conversations with some of the best coaches in world football about individual player development.

If you want to go deeper into the individual development methodology behind this series — my Developing The Game Changer masterclass is now available to every coach for the first time.

The same presentation delivered to Aston Villa, Brighton, Chicago Fire, the Hong Kong Football Association and the Premier League Academy Coaches Conference at Old Trafford — at £39.

Get instant access here 👇

https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/developing-the-game-changer/