Welcome to an extraordinary episode featuring a captivating panel discussion with football legends Harry Redknapp, Jamie Redknapp, and Paul Merson. Delve into the world of football, parenting, and the unique dynamics that shape young athletes.
In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the intricacies of 1-to-1 training and its impact on a budding footballer’s development. Can a child be inherently born as a footballer, or is it the result of dedicated training and mentorship? Join us as we unravel the mysteries behind nurturing sporting talent from a young age.
The conversation takes an insightful turn as we delve into the realm of parenting styles. Discover the delicate balance between being assertive and fostering a relaxed environment for your child’s growth in the world of football. Should parents adopt a more hands-on, pushy approach, or is a laid-back attitude more conducive to success? Our panelists, each with their unique experiences, share their perspectives on what works best in shaping a football prodigy.
A highlight of the discussion is the fascinating comparison of parenting styles between the esteemed Harry Redknapp and the insightful Paul Merson. Gain valuable insights into the diverse approaches these football icons have taken in guiding their own children through the challenges of pursuing a career in the beautiful game.
Whether you’re a football enthusiast, a parent navigating the world of youth sports, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes of football development, this episode promises a rich tapestry of experiences and wisdom. Join us as we journey through the minds of these football legends, unlocking the secrets to nurturing the next generation of sporting talent. Don’t miss out on this riveting exploration of football, parenting, and the unique stories that shape the beautiful game.
You really believe that becoming a footballer is down to Nature you know you just suddenly can’t say I want I’m GNA be a footballer because you dad wants You’ to be a footballer let him get on with it you know let him play if he’s good enough you’ll come through
Most parents haven’t got a clue about football and they suddenly want to start shouting and screaming at their kid you have to work hard you can have all the talent in the world if you don’t work hard I can assure you 1 million per you would not make it as a footballer if
You’re taking your kid to go to a onetoone trainer and he’s sit in the car doesn’t really want to go you’re in the wrong business save yourself the money you can’t make your kid love it do you think that football is less entertaining now Harry yeah I do yeah personally I do
Yeah I keep seeing people just keep passing Square backwards Square I don’t see anybody can pick the ball up and do something everything is stacked stacked stacked I know Michael ow really well I’ve never seen anyone quicker we just say Michael look this work on a bit of
Technique what do I work on that for I just stick it in the onion bag keep UPS never want to do could do 20 keep UPS the game will never change you have two dribblers in a football team when you get to 11v 11 if you’re lucky after that
You’ve got to be out to pass and Move I want you to take your mind back to the hospital the day that Jamie was born and imagine this right you’ve put Jamie down in the cot and then you’ve turned around to Sandra and on the same day Jaime’s mate Jack White Hall is also born and he’s in
The C next to Jamie now you turn around and you accidentally take Jack whiteall and you take him home and you raise him and my question to you is does Jack whiteall become a footballer as good as Jamie and does Jamie become a comedian the answer to that he
Definitely both qu both definitely not Jack no Jack definitely would have been a footballer I don’t think looking at him and his legs and everything about him he definitely wouldn’t have been a footballers and Jamie definitely wouldn’t have been he’s not a standing up comedian that’s for
Sure so in that answer you really believe that becoming a footballer is down to imp part nature yeah you know the funny thing is though people say I know merc’s boy plays he’s a good young player but people oh you you know it’s in the how
Many footballers have sons who go on to be footballers very you could count them on one hand or certainly two hands anyway so it’s people say it’s in the jeans it’s in I don’t know I mean Jamie just played like you know like probably M would have done you know six seven
Eight years of age just football football football it wasn’t a case of pushing him and driving him mad and taking him out in the garden all day and training him or anything he just wanted to play football and you think that he was born with
That yeah yeah I think yeah he must have been out you know you it wasn’t it wasn’t a case of me pushing him into it or you know um saying oh you’ve got a trainer you got to play I really want you to be I didn’t you know I want him
Just to be a good lad what you did but yes five or six he was playing football and playing in a team when he was six we went to America so he spent every probably listen that is a help obviously but he spent every day coming training
At Seattle with me and he’s around people like Bobby Moore Jeff HST you know all all footballers every day so he’s playing football out on the training pitch over the back with the other kids every day so that must have been inspiring yeah he obviously got into it
You know and that’s what he always wanted to do but but you’ve got to be you know you’ve got to add the athleticism you got to be built for it you you know you just suddenly can’t say I want I’m going to be a footballer because your dad wants you to be a
Footballer as I say am footballers have sons who end up playing it’s very very very few do do you think though dad growing up when obviously Mark’s three years older than me did you maybe think well I I had say more football ability was I would always the one that used to
Come with you or did you just it would you just happen naturally or did you think you know what I got this one’s got a chance of being a footballer I’m G to really push this one oh no I knew no I didn’t push you but I knew at an early
Age that uh you know you you played you know when you were six and all that you were playing and you just always had a football that’s what you wanted to do you know well well that’s what I just want to touch on there Harry because in your book
Jamie the making of a footballer you describe when you were four years old one of your earliest memories there was footballs everywhere like all over the house all in the garden I mean that is an environment that’s going to facilitate a lot of practice yeah I
Guess so and I was there was one football I remember the MLS ball used to have the stars on it and I remember that Dad some you got one I think after a game and you bought it back and that was always the ball that I took everywhere
You know and there’s every picture I had say even with Mark who liked football he liked it I loved it that was probably the difference there was never a picture without me with a ball in my hand and I’m I guarantee you were the same M it’s
Just what you did you know what I mean it was like every time the amount of times mama got put that ball down and and I could see Dad was looking at me now you keep playing you know just mess around with a ball and touching it and having it you know even
If it’s in your hands it’s just you become like as as one with it you know and I think that was something that I certainly love but I also had a probably a unique upbringing where some days dad would be taking me to training and I
Taking me to school and I go Dad can I come training in and he go well all right come on in and we go to training right I go and join in with a first team at 1112 which probably you know I don’t think my head master was too happy with
But it worked out didn’t it well your M didn’t your M didn’t know you couldn’t read or write when you [Laughter] was realiz that something had been going on but no I used to used to come in training with me and always be around footballers I suppose that was obviously
A big Advantage for you and something about the relationship between you and Jamie I got the impression from the book that Jamie idolized you he really looked up to you and I see that with a lot of players that go on to be successful they have a strong relationship often with
The father and with you being a football manager being a player do you think that had an impact on Jamie oh yeah for sure definitely I mean without a doubt and he spent as I say spent his whole you know childhood really being around footballers whether it was in America
Whether it was at Bournemouth when I was managing all them years 10 years there coming in training every day or every other you know just being around a football club and that’s what he wanted to do but you have to have the ability to do it wanting to do it and being able
To do it are two different things you know um yeah so youve got to you’ve got to have that ability you can’t you can’t just suddenly make somebody and you know who who who teaches who taught Merc how to play who taught him how to play a
Board outside of his foot who teaches Joe Cole who who dead you know said he’d never kicked the football in his life you know George and Joe was a genius you know with a foot best school boy play I’d ever seen 11 years of age he was
Unbelievable but you know George I to speak to his day now he had no interest in football at scoring so but Joe had this talent that was so where’ it come from it’s difficult it wasn’t drummed into him by his dad that’s for sure is one dad so obviously we’re a pretty
Unique family in in the fact that Frank Lampard played for England as well and Frank senior so four of us to have that sort of a career is pretty unusual but do you think Frank was as it as close to nurture as nature because in terms of
Like getting pushed and and having yeah Frank was a good good young player but he wasn’t necessarily on a red carpet playing for England school boards things like that he got pushed probably he had to get pushed to a certain extent would you agree with that well he pushed
Himself though for Jame he had he had an incredible attitude that he that he obviously got from his dad but his dad you know he would train he’d be out in that training ground at 4 o’clock in the afternoon when it was getting dark in the middle of winter with his spikes on
People said he couldn’t get round a pitch he can’t run as’s he ever going to be a player every day he’d run he’d have his do his Sprints he’d go lot do laps he just got fitter trained practiced but he was he was driven you know his dad
Had that same drive as a player when he was young and obviously Frank had that as well so that’s really what what made him you know he was a good school boy player but he went to a probably a public school what whatever PRI public school private school um so he didn’t
Come through the normal footballing route that kids go come from you know in that respect but he he he he had that dve he just wanted to be wanted to be a player nothing was going to stop him he practiced and practiced and practiced yeah but Harry like I it went like you
Always see the um the uh interview when you done the press conference when someone questioned Frank yeah at West Ham and you like I you saying he’s a proper player and all that if you weren’t the manager do you think he’d have got that chance with someone else do you know
What I mean because you you know football you’ve seen football but other you stop by him and he’s in for my in my opinion he’s turned out to be one of the greatest Premier League players of all time cuz in my opinion no one’s ever
Going to put up the figures he put up ever again 20 goals a season from Midfield so do you think you the way you like football and the way you see it in your vision do you think because of you if you wasn’t the manager you think he
Would have been let go or not got given that opportunity uh no I think I don’t either been let goers I think that um I think once he came into the club before he came in people were like well you know I had people who worked at the club worked
For me who said we can’t get around the pitch you know is he ever going to be a player but he just he just went out there and trained and worked and run and practiced there was never a day he wouldn’t be out on that training ground
When it was getting dark on his own with a bag of balls and doing his Springs he just wanted to be a player so but yeah know he broke in earlyer I loaned him out when he was s of 17 to Swansea and he went down to Swansea played at the
Old bch ankled deep mad and done well there and then he came back and then he sort of 18 19 he’s in the first team so no I think he’d have always had the attitude I wouldn’t I couldn’t sit and say it was because of me I think um it
Was because of him and his dead obviously was well his dad had that attitude about him that he he just wanted to be a play you know wanted to would he trained the same as Frank he was incredible trainer worked at his game so it was obviously in the blood
For him yeah well that’s what I wanted to just ask there Harry could you describe the different parenting Styles between the way that you brought up Jamie from a football point of view and the way that Frank senior brought up Frank Lampard uh yeah I would think Frank was
Uh Frank would push young Frank he’d make him he would you know but the kid had it in him as well but he would he would demand a lot of him and he’d push him and you know he’d Rock him practice if he didn’t do whatever he was quite
Hard on him I think in in football you know in terms of his football yeah um and get him working get him doing stuff can whereas I have to do that with Jamie I just let him play I’ll go and watch him stand out the way never never
Shouted or screened or I’m not saying Frank shouted or screen but he would he would certainly he he would he’d be quite hard with Frank because that’s how Frank was Frank senior was an incredible trainer he’d been the best I’d ever seen up until young Frank come along the pair
Of them were just quite unique i’ never seen two people train or work as hard Frank cenu had the same thing at 17 Ron Greenwood was going to let him go a talky on loan and Frank I don’t want to go a talky I want to play for West Ham
What’s wrong with me he was 18 I think at the time he said well he’s Frank you know he said well tell me what’s wrong me I work on I want to play with West Dam I don’t want to go to talk U and he said well you your pace Rank and what
Frank got set of spikes every day come in every day today finish playing he did his Sprints 10 yards little sharp ones jockey Twist and Turn go for 10 15 yards sharp Sprints did that every day worked at it chipping balls you know was getting balls out his feet and clipping
Balls and young Frank done it was exactly the same every day with the spike Frank bleeded in the spikes he they made him quicker and they did Frank senior so when people say you can’t get quick I’ve seen it I saw Frank Senor who couldn’t run become a played for West H
For 20 years at fallback am I right quicker and quicker am I right in saying Frank was exactly the same sorry D am I right in saying that um with Frank senior as well it they realized he probably couldn’t play right back because there was someone in his
Position so he went and learned how to become a great left back and worked on his left foot cuz he was he was predominantly was a right footed player yeah he work on everything Jame he just every day he he train and you know he’d be out there on his own and
You know and you know what it’s like when he first started doing that when he was about 17 the other young players would look look you know look at him he’s treding to but he didn’t give a monkeys about anybody he was so he had this determination about him that I’m
Going to be a player nothing’s going to stop me I don’t care I’ll show the manager is wrong want it to loow me out the talky or let me go a talky permanently possibly I’m going to prove him wrong and that’s what he did and he
Did genuinely he put yards of pace he just was so slow it was scary and then suddenly he got quicker and quick he was a good Sportsman don’t get me wrong he was a fantastic cricketer played with the England cricket schools team um and he had a hard upbringing but he had a
Determination about him that i’ never that was incredible really and you know remember him playing the practice match when he was 171 18 and Peter brabrook was one of my favorite Peter play for England played the Chelsea came to West Ham and Peter had unbelievable ability
And he’s gone to he’s trying to beat you know Frank was playing left back in a practice match and he kicked Peter six foot in the air and BR Peter looked at him said wait what you doing looked up at him and Frank said you if you take
The M try to take the Mickey again I’ll kick you twice as hard next time and that was like a 18y old kid but that’s how he was he didn’t give a nothing was going to stop him and young Frank had that you know you think of the abuse he
Got at West Ham when he was coming on oh he’s only playing because he’s your gr you know your nephew and he’s because he’s dead your system it was all that all the yeah he was still scoring goals at West Ham you know I know he didn’t
Got a Chelsea it was you know 12 million quid because he was he was my nephew he went there because Chelsea saw something in him that you know that was an amazing Sig I think Ken Bates was very instrumental in taking him to Chelsea at
The time but what a career he had but yeah he was so determined to to succeed that nothing was going to stop him and he if anyone got in his way you and say he suffered all that he was so strong he overcome that abuse and everything else
That he’ got at times he just he’d come on and get on with it nothing would nothing would knock him down D this is Project footballer right so a parent comes up to you got a really precocious Talent six seven years of age what advice would you give
Them I would give him let him play go and watch him play Stand Out The Way don’t interfere don’t shout and scream at the kid let him enjoy his football give him little bits of advice if you you know occasionally but don’t take the
Fun out of it for him um and let him get on with it you know let him play if he’s good enough he’ll come through but then not sorry just to play Devil’s Advocate that does conflict with what Frank Lampard senior did with Frank Lampard
Yeah but he was different he was he was a Frank senior was a top player most parents haven’t got a clue about football and they suddenly want to start shouting and screaming at their kids Frank didn’t shout or scream at him but he would make him work he would he would
Push him to do stuff you know and he’d take him out in the garden probably and work with him and do stuff like that with him he did shout at him I saw Frank Senor shout him at times when he was 11 12 years of age but not in like only in
A in in a way that’s like O come on you got to run you got to chase like that was so I I I’ve seen it from with my own eyes Frank senior used to shout at his boy when he played but not I don’t swear
At him or anything but he was shout like my dad never he said that in a lot of his intervie yeah Frank mentioned it Dad I remember once dad telling me I played in the game at bore Stadium funny enough and I play remember the kid’s name Danny
Olo played in Midfield against me and I think he’s a year older and he got the better of me that day the any time Dad ever he said to me that boy a day got the better of you that that that if you want to be a footballer that can’t
Happen you know you got to make sure you match him and you run and it always stuck in my mind I remember planning it in the following year that was probably the only time I ever think well God that was something that dad told me I was
That was his way of almost telling me off but for some parents like Frank senior would push and shout and get something out of him but if you said to Frank now now did that help you become a footballer absolutely without that without getting pushed so you know
Making him run and making him go on runs it there are two schools of thought on it Paul what’s your opinion on this what happens in football as well though Jame because you know people go oh it’s because of his it Frank became a incredible player not you know but
People always go well you know you did it you got a chance you got there’s other people you know I’ve seen players Kevin Bond who you know he’s de John played at West H for 20 years as well and Kevin as a school boy player you
Wouldn’t have give a a shilling for his chances of being a player he came to Bournemouth as a kid as an apprentice and everybody went how can he you know he he was so average he wasn’t average he was a million miles below average couldn’t run couldn’t but he ended up
Having a fantastic career he was plowed a year at Man City one year play a year at Southampton um and played for a long long time but he had a determination to make it but people always say oh it was because of his dad yeah you know he
Might have got the chance in the first place because of his dad he probably did but then from then on it’s even harder I think when you when you’re involved with your father because people always want to knock you people always like Frank did at West Ham the best thing he did
Was get away and go off to Chelsea and play off and do it of his you know so no one could point a finger at him say oh you only getting pick because you’re dead or he just just had an incredible career off his own back so I think it is
Harder when you’ve got a son or someone and you Tred to it must have been hard for Nigel Club really with playing his dad at not Forest you know for Brian Club parents I think you’re better off if you got a kid get them away you don’t
Want them at your Club let them go somewhere else and play and prove what they can do off their own back I think when you you have them and you the manager I think you’re really put yourself in a very difficult position mom used to give you some terrible stick
When you didn’t play me that’s for sure [Laughter] yeah just just on the parenting Styles there buy me a cup of tea just I’m doing a zoom here Mo just G to beat him at go in a minute I’m taking a cup of tea now we we we need a little
Bit more of your time please Harry um no problem just on the parenting Styles I think that’s a really really interesting subject and a tough balance for parents to get right but Paul for your nine-year-old boy eight-year old what’s the balance that you find with hard sometimes hard sometimes I because
I I try I try to be like Harry I I do try to be like Harry let him play get him on with it you know I do I do want him to do that and enjoy his football sometimes I will pull him up sometimes I
Feel yeah is hard sometimes I never ever a go at him I’d never go but I would go like oh you didn’t get the better of him he’s got the better of you can’t keep on to let that happen I do say that but the
Only thing I ever say to him before a game on a Sunday or even training there’s only one thing you’re in control of working hard work hard and I think in everything that’s Harry said there and jamy said and I think a lot of the parents missed this out you have to work
Hard you can have all the talent in the world if you don’t work hard I can assure you 1 million per you would not make it as a foer I can assure you of that you that all for all the talent you have you have to come back to one thing
Work hard the best player probably ever to play football was Lionel Messi Lion Messi worked as hard as anybody when he was at Barcelona playing his playing the 5-second Press he led from the front he was the one who started it all he got the ball back IM and Indi esta and Chevy
People go oh unbelievable players unbelievable player but they worked hard that’s the one thing I say with Freddy if he doesn’t work hard which isn’t very often no that’s the one thing I would pulling him up on he is a very very hardworking kid and with your other boys
That have played football how does Freddy compare to them not ability wise but love of football and work rate yeah uh better really yeah the oldest one would work hard but he didn’t have as much talent as the other two the middle one worked really hard but didn’t
Have the talent of the the the the the youngest boy B Freddy Sam had all the talent but didn’t have Freddy’s work rate he didn’t have Freddy’s work rate and if you ain’t got that cuz that was one thing I took from your book Jamie one of the differences between you and
Your brother Mark it just seemed that yeah you just became obsessed with football and that was a difference between you and Mark yeah I I had a very obsessive Behavior I think you know we got quite a bit of addiction in our family but we when it come to to going
In the garden and we when we moved to a house of my my granddad it’s been well said before before but we he he was a carpenter my my mom’s dad and he he built like a bird cage in the garden and I couldn’t I couldn’t go in for dinner
Unless I’d hit it five times we had a nice size guy we were lucky dad was starting to do you know okay as a manager and I have to clip balls clip balls and until I hit it five times in the top top of it then I could go for
Dinner mom would be Shing me I wouldn’t go in I couldn’t you know didn’t know how dark it got and I think that was why I became certainly a good passer I could pick someone out from any distance and you know we on the r or whatever it was
Um having that’s why you became so skinny but even keep you didn’t get any dinner I know even keeping the ball up I’d have to do it a thousand times or whatever it took to just make sure that I got those touches of the ball and and
You have to be an addict you’ve got to want it so badly and if you don’t do that I’m sorry and you know that’s where like and when you’re taking your if you’re taking your kid to go to a onetoone trainer and he’s sitting the the car and doesn’t really really want
To go you’re in the wrong business save yourself the money yeah you know they’ve got to be chomping a bit they’ve got to get their boots out the night before a game I’d lay my kit out I’d have my boots ready they’d be clean right that’s
How it has has to be you’ve got to love it and if you don’t you can’t make your kid love it you know it’s very difficult to do that true Harry you just made a remark there around Jam’s diet um is that something you considered as he was
Developing as a player did you give him advice on that no no truthful no no I didn’t really I mean my I was always old school w i you know when I went when I went to Tottenham they said that the players can’t have ketchup and all that
IIs don’t if they have ketchup or not if they can’t pass the ball to each other having ketchup ain’t going to make a lot of difference listen mer mer I’m sure M wasn’t in the diets all that you know so no I I I wouldn’t have been into that really well that’s a
Question for you and it’s something I want to talk on the episode do you think that football is less entertaining now Harry yeah I do yeah personally I do yeah yeah I do I I I don’t see anyone I watch games and I get I keep seeing people just keep passing Square
Backwards Square I don’t see anybody can pick the ball up and do something play a you know beat somebody or open a door even watching the other night one watching Chelsea FL how they ever going to break new Newcastle down they got no one can do anything it’s only maybe
Sterling might have a little run and play one two or do I couldn’t see any anyone to do it and I see so many games like that now where we we have we used to produce so many great dribblers people that could dribble every team had Wingers that could dribble people that
Could do special things you know M could do it he played with people like tierry HRI and then it was Dennis BG people that could do something fantastic and you know I don’t see there’s that many around now in the game I think we’ve got
Lots of people now that we keep you know backwards Square we keep the ball as all you he coaches shouting out now to the kids it’s pass pass pass I want to see them shout dribble dribble dribble I want to see people that can beat someone
And do something and turn a game for you open a game up when it’s tight there less and less people about players coming in I think now who can do who can do something different yeah I do find the game quite at times quite tedious yeah Liverpool man united Last Week Big
Buildup what nothing happens i’ be a shot of one or two shots at goal no we get but you listen there are exciting games there’s also a lot of games that are not so exciting I think back in the day there was a lot more exciting exciting open open football matches do
You think that is ARA as well because of like the way people play now and the shape they play and before you know when we play it was pretty much 442 two out andout Wingers everybody knew their job that Winger got the ball beat players two up front bending runs two in
Midfield got up and down now sometimes I find players come onto a pitch and I don’t really think they know what their job is if I’m being honest they don’t know whether to stick or twist yeah I think too much go you know you think now is about you know it’s all
About shape and it’s all about systems and it’s you know everybody’s got to be in the Right Slots it’s yeah there a lot of jargon and almost all we he now is all the jar and all the new AA games just been invented you know um but no
There is you know there is not enough people about for me who get me off me seat I want to see people do something and play a pass that you know oh my God how where do you see that pass from you know or beat someone and do something I
Love to see people that can do stuff like that that’s why I’ve always had people you know when I was a manager I always signed people people people say oh they’re Mavericks but they had great ability I took Merc he changed pouth for me I took the Cano when nobody would
Touch him because he was a genius you know and he had great ability I love them I love them type of players I think you know people that can do something special I was talking to Lee trundle yesterday Harry and he said for you as a
Manager he said that you always set your teams up to entertain I mean obviously you were successful and you know you you’re a super successful manager but did you also have an intention that you wanted to entertain the fans yeah you I wanted have a go yeah I mean you know
When I went to to I played with two Wingers home and away every never changed really got Aaron lenon on one side Gareth Bell on the other and we got it out to them and you know one against one if one of them couldn’t have a good day against the fullback the chancees
Are the other one would and and I love playing that way I love you know I love people and then you know PS we played with three at the back and I played M I played him spare him behind the front you know two and he would he could I let
Him play really let him play where he wanted to play get on the ball make something happen I bur I did that with him at West H just keep I just keep getting on the ball and make things happen for us you know I love people
With ability and uh so yeah I think my team’s that’s how I wanted to play really you don’t see that anymore though do you you don’t see people just been given a free rle anymore like just go out and go and play it’s everybody’s in
A system you know no one runs out of position no one you know I was at Chelsea the other night you know Sterling was on One Wing uh Palmer was Palmer was on the other one no one ended up on the you know Sterling didn’t come and end up on the
Side I was sitting you I mean he never made a run across and the other lad just dropped in it was it was like sauo football it was like everybody’s working on their stats like you got to be at 85% 90% of keeping the ball if it’s down at
60 you’re not going to play the following week but you might have had that that 40% passes might have been five of them might have been through the eye of a needle how would you have if you when you look at the way the modern game’s gone where would you have found
Yourself playing or where do you see yourself because you Dad when Dad talks about mck I played against you enough I us to hate playing against you she had so much ability you know the outside of right foot and shots and goals where would you have played you think
Now I don’t know honestly I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know you’re a Maverick you yeah oh yeah oh yeah you know when I first started off as a kid I was Center forward and then I went right wing and then as my career got as I got
Older I think you you earn that thing of playing in that position very rare you get 20 year old playing in the pocket but the BR I don’t know yeah I would probably I don’t know yeah I I don’t honestly I don’t know I think the the
Thing is when I played I ate G back when we play because the game hasn’t changed you know it hasn’t all that’s changed of the pitches and it probably got quicker because of the pitches that’s the only reason because you can pass it a lot quicker now I don’t see people run
Without the ball anymore and my job was when I got the ball I relied on people to run when I had the ball I don’t see people running without the ball anymore I think that that Art’s gone I don’t you know I see the other day at Chelsea it’s
Different when you’re at the game because you can see the old thing you know I when like Fernandez got the ball in the first 20 minutes or someone no one makes a run no one you know the only person I’ve ever seen the best person I’ve seen make runs without the ball two
People is Harland who don’t get it enough and Salah and and you know they’re the ones with the two figures that go through the roof with their stats because they’re prepared to run without the ball I don’t see that you know and I’m a great believer and I’ve
Always wherever I play I’ve always been around good players stick around good good players if you ain’t got good players around you you know it’s vice versa with managers I think AR would be the same you know Pep Guardiola is not taking rdale through the leagues to the
Premier League believe me you you know you it works either way good players got to be around good players and good ma manage good managers have good players if we’ve got a little bit more time Harry I would just like to read to you a quote from Michael Owen I don’t know if
You saw it he went kind of viral recently for what he said on this subject so I’ll just read this there was more pure footballers back in the day now you have to be an athlete you just have to be able to run you have to be
Big you have to be fast you have to be covering x amount of kilometers now you don’t even have to be that good anymore back in the day you had to have real skill and top attributes to be a top footballer there’s loads of great players that absolute Ballers proper
Proper talented now if you run a bit further than anyone else you basically pass it from A to B then you’re getting a decent career in the Premier League yes I agree with him yeah I agree with him I would agree I mean you know when
We look back you know you people now the you know even the great leads team that had two mid Central Midfield players both 5 foot six you know Bren and Giles you know you you have people now you’ve got to be an athlete I think now it’s
All about yeah stats and running as M said the passing everything is stacked stacked Stacks you know where would the you know the Jimmy Greaves is to this world and all these incredible players over the years people have looked say well he’s not an athlete or he’s not I I
Agree I think that there’s less and less people you know uh getting through with with real good ability now and we’re going more for the athletic type of of player really and you can make a good living if you can run and if you can
Pass it simple you know we see we see Midfield players going for 90 100 million pound the boy at Chelsea you know he don’t score he don’t make goals he breaks up play plays it simple suddenly he’s under a billion pound football it’s incredible the only one I
Pick you up on dad and I remember having a conversation with you because when you went to Tottenham you said i’ got got a player can have play this guy and you said I need he plays off the left hand side but I think I want to get
Him in central but I just wonder if he’s strong enough and he had a decent career he’s not done too bad Luca Modric but you you were you were like can he handle the physicality you know but I’m going to do it I’m going to play him in there
I mean obviously now the rest is history because you you almost changed it for him you know I mean changed it for yourself because he was so important but that if you’ve got that ability it doesn’t matter what size you are if you’ve got that fight in you you can
Certainly do what absolutely of course you can absolutely if you got that ability it’s you know there’s a there’s a sping up there it’s Sky there what is it it’s not the size of the dog in the fight is the size of it’s the fight in
The dog is it or whatever yeah but yeah it’s don’t how big you are if you got ability you haven’t got to be you shouldn’t have to be 6′ one 6’2 and be at a run all day you know got a football brain football brain people ability who
Can play you know but that is that is way about Messi look at the S if you looked at him probably you’d have gone like yeah he’s got funny little feet you know he might have walked in your Club you nah look at him he can’t make it you know
But that’s the way it is though now and it you know it’s all size size size first thing they look at parents how big is a parent how big is that parent how big is that parent you you know even now but you look at some of the top players
Like Kyle Walker’s one of the best defenders you know I wouldn’t like to play against Kyle Walker he’s electric quick but if you had to pick one player that probably give him the biggest runaround in the Premier League it would probably be Bernard Silva at his at his
Team because he would have him coming out into positions he wouldn’t want to come out into and because he’s intelligent he’s a footballer and not the biggest but he’s got a football brain you know I don’t know if the football brain carries 100% a lot now
Michael so I I I know Michael ow really well talking about that quote there so when Michael first come into the on the scene he’s he’s a great lad he he but he this this young man was talking he was on 11 12 we knew you know I was 18 19 at
The time I was in the first team every year he they bring him into the dressing room so you were sort of accustom to this young man they were looking after him man united want him everyone but he he like he wanted to come to Liverpool
And 156 he was training with a first and he obviously think he made his debut 16 17 I’ve never seen anyone quicker never seen anyone quicker in my life he was so fast made great runs but we just say Michael look let’s work on a bit of
Technique technique stuff what do I work on that for I’ll just stick it in the onion bag I’m like no no you we got to look we got to work on your Technique and do little bits you know keep UPS never want to do couldn’t do 20 keep UPS
So so when he actually got his injuries subsequently he needed to rely on something else cuz he lost that little bit of speed he became like almost it became Crips knifer it became more like everybody else so he had to find a different way and don’t get me wrong he
Had the football brain where he scored important goals remember the one he scored for United against Man City the winning goal he could still do it but lot losing that pace made him like Mortal made him like everybody else so you’ve got to have if you’ve got that
Football brain as well it makes such a difference you know and that’s what gives you that edge because it’s not always about speed Bernardo Silva tells you everything about that the guy’s 5 fo8 5′ n but his football brain is so much quicker than anybody else’s you
Can’t foul him and especially the way the game is now you can’t really you know you can’t overpower people you need if you’ve got skill and you’re fast and you manipulate the ball really well off your left and right foot like Modric like Bernardo Silva you can’t get near
Everybody like if you look at Bellingham Bellingham is probably the you know that film Weird Science When We Were Young and you design a footballer and you take know the girl the guy the guys on the computer design a perfect girl the that’s what you’ve done with Jude Bellingham you’ve designed the perfect
Specimen he’s got an incredible football brain he’s got the perfect family environment with his mom and dad he can run he can score goals he’s got a finesse he he’s like a WID man skill play in central Midfield that’s what you want but there are there are others that
You look at like Dad said that would come in the building you go well I wouldn’t have him he can’t he’s too small but you’ve got to give people time to develop and use that skill they have with with your boy being through the academy system from under eight and he
Was he’s still in it now isn’t he and so you’ve seen a lot of it does it make sense to you why football is like it is now seeing Academy football yeah I I I think if you can I think getting kids to to train so much
So hard at eight nine years of age and not letting it be fun and almost getting into battles every every day against another kid I’m not sure that’s always is healthy you know I think in Spain they don’t necessarily do that in producing players like there are
Elements to it that I love because we don’t we we have for whatever reason we can’t produce like Mera could do it we receed the ball on the half turn you know and drive away from players we struggle with Midfield areas without Jud J can obviously do it but there’s not
Many you can count on probably two ANS that you go like you know foden I would like to see play deeper but most of our players in this country we haven’t had any Esters and javies and players like that that are comfortable with the with
The ball and two off two feet but that is certainly changing you know we are producing SL problem Jame the problem is 80% of the young coaches who work at football clubs have never played football or don’t play football they’re 24 25 a lot of them they don’t play they
Don’t know they’ve never been there they’ve never been in that position they never seen that pass theyve never they’ve never had the ups and downs of being a young football Who Wants to Be a Player they don’t play they’re academ mics and academics are running the game
At the moment at Youth Level there’s no doubt about it in my mind I I see them I watch him I listen to him and I’m going I ask him why don’t you how old are you I’m 24 don’t who you play don’t you play
No I don’t play but they all they’ve all learned the game on computers and and studying the game but they’ve never probably kicked the ball a it and it’s very difficult when you’re dealing with kids and you trying to help them and you’ve never actually kicked the ball or
Played football at any level it’s certainly more and more you know it’s very it’s very difficult I think we need is the people the ex players have been frozen out of coaching at Youth Level now it’s all about you know stats and academics who can can put it down
And sell their themselves very well but whether they’re actually teaching the kids that well I’m not so sure what do you think that’s sure because that’s obviously something you do i’ got go my man’s on the te MO is on the te I swear there’s a four behind us all right we
Can Harry right Dad this I say I want say one last thing I could have been a standup comedian Jack and Jack White was just texting me and said he could have played for England so you don’t know anything cheers Harry okay M good luck lat see
Bye M bye see boys bye bye see you Dad bye so windy have you seen it yeah oh my so I’ll ask you that quick we can still we can still yeah so so that that that’s an interesting question he’s made there because you talk about you know Jose mun
Will probably come in and go I didn’t play look at my career as a manager or as a coach do you think that he’s right by saying that you you’ve had to have played the game to be a good coach or certainly at Youth Level I do I hadn’t played professional and when
I started to go into Chelsea Academy as a coach from the age of like 17 I started to see players ex players that were coaching like Jody Morris Andy Meyers I think maybe Andre Flo might have been about it John Harley like I could see that Eddie
Newton like I see these people had played the game and they could give advice to the older players the 15y old 16y olds that I couldn’t give at that age having never played professional not even been at an academy so I actually didn’t try going down the route of
Coaching older players cuz I thought I would have given them a disservice that was my personally so I’ve stayed around working with the pre-academy ages because I felt technically I was very good and I could understand the game from a technical point of view and I could pass that on
To the young kids I I do think that I do think and and what he’s saying yeah I’m not going to lie we’ve been you you coached my kids when they were younger if you couldn’t have played I wouldn’t let you near my kids no
Because I if if you got a coach that’s coaching your young kid and he can’t clip a ball or if he can’t keep the ball up or have basic skills or do a nice step over if he’s trying to educate your kid yeah right you can’t you can’t have
That no you need to be out if you’re demonstrating things or you’ve got to have an eye you know like I always think you know you talk about someone they when they pass the ball you go oh that’s that’s a different noise yeah you know
When they do a step over and it’s fluid yeah you know you’ve got to be a would you have had because there’s so many people in the game that probably this is easy money I can do a bit of coaching stand there tell them what to do you
Need to be a to demonstrate it you know and especially you you’ve got to make sure you do it in the right way and how they move off either foot if they’re on their toes when they’re running or how they touch the ball you know player with
The outside of your foot I do think it’s an important thing would you agree with that yeah no I I I do I think is important I think for for that I mean I there’s the Freddy’s coach at Chelsea called sampa oh he’s class very good like every time I’ve ever talked to
Him all I could ever are he sees what I see do you know what I mean I love s yeah I like I haven’t had that he’s the only coach he’s had him and Ross and every time I’ve ever talked to him I’ve always put the phone down
And go my God he see what I see do you I mean because I do see it I do see it differently I do I watch football differently to a lot of other people you know I see you know than other parents and even other people but every time you
Know I might see something in a game and I might s talk to him and they go oh what about when Freddy did that or didn’t do that and I I think oh my god do you see what I see do you oneon-one coach Freddy no
Only what me no do you get someone else to do it no you just let him do Academy yeah really yeah yeah I have done I I have done but that was before he got into full-time Academy and I say fulltime where he’s training Tuesdays Thursdays Saturday play Sunday I think
Freddy turns up at training with fairer and leaves training with black hair so there’s no need to do any more training in my opinion he pushes he he works his socks off he works hard yeah you know and I might do some stuff in the how
Difficult is it but you do stuff extra stuff in the garden I’ll do he’s always in the garden he’s always in the garden we have two two goals and he’ll smash the ball in Left Foot Right Foot and we we’re lucky enough we have a wall in the
Garden which is Handy a Wall’s great is it a Wall’s great see I think Wall’s the best thing I think you can have all the stuff in the world just keep on whacking the ball against the wall yeah you know it’s in my opinion I mean how difficult
Is it m because I remember so my always so I drove Charlie away from football he’s now 19 he’s a rugby player um Bo is 15 but when you hear parents talking and they’re going yeah yeah I found this one-on-one coach I’m doing this with him
And he’s got this tomorrow night is it not sometimes CU you’re you don’t want to fall behind does does it scare you a little bit like that that you’re missing out or you like no I’ve got a plan here I know what I’m doing yeah I I I
Like Freddy’s going to be a certain player so there’s no point going to a one-on coach and doing 20 hours of dribbling round a cone cuz he ain’t going to be that play So that that’s out the window you know he CU he never started at a young age where some of
These kids some of their feet at training and mind-blowing but fredd is a passer he sees a pass and he plays a certain way and he looks around and he’s got to keep on playing that way so the only person who’s going to teach him
That by the coaches at Chelsea is me if I take him to a one on one coach they’re going to teach him something different bar at gem football there’s a place called gem football which is perfect for Freddy you know it’s off the boards and it’s turning you you and it’s I think
That’s priceless but I wouldn’t take him and I’m not nothing against oneon-one coaches but Freddy’s at a stage where he’s got to play a certain way if he doesn’t play a certain way it be eating up over Christmas you’ve said that I mean he’s not going to be training at Chelsea over Christmas
So what’s your program going to be for Freddy over that two we period uh in the garden loads of on his other foot his weaker foot just keeping touch it with his weaker foot he can play with his other foot now he can do I’ve seen him
Do is that because you weren’t good with your left foot is there a little the game’s changed now I think I think that’s the one thing is and I don’t think there’s not many two-footed players around so don’t anybody sit there and think oh no one I don’t see
Anybody in the Premier League that’s naturally two-footed virtually hardly and there’s no Casas around you know gazola at Chelsea was unbelievable he could take a in swinging corner with one foot go over the other side take inning stre yeah and like here now you find me a footballer that plays in the Premier
League that can switch the play with a 60 yard pass with both feet and I’ll re my app I’ll re my app I mean Jude bellingham’s not in the Premier League but I’d say he probably could but he’s not in the Premier League all right but
I got you got the best finisher in the world one of the best center forwards in the world who gets 50 60 goals in ster in um in Harland can’t kick with his other foot he’s not naturally kicked he can’t naturally kick it with his other
Foot he he he doesn’t drill it he won’t spray around the pitch and and he’s one of the best people what you got to do is be able to naturally come onto your weaker foot and be able to play a five 10 yard pass because no one really it’s
You know Jamie I always say you know not because Jam is it Jamie was one of the best passers There Was You know the nearest thing to him in passing wise now for me is Ward PR the way he could spray the ball round the pitch not many people
Spray the ball round the pitch anymore it’s it’s I call it that’ll come I can it’s Chris Tav football now it’s safe it does come from what I did as a kid though when I passed when I used to spend time in the garden yeah I always
Used to just clip a ball and I had to see it like the the way that it moved nowadays I did a game uh sober Slide the way he strikes the ball and I I love it it’s not something that I could have you know I didn’t do cuz I didn’t practice
It you know if I maybe practiced it whereas he hits it and there’s like a a short um like follow through and he just stuns the ball and he makes it sort of dip yeah whereas I was sort of bought up my dad was a lovely passer of a ball I
Watched him like he could clip a ball beautifully like in demonstrations whip a ball clip it and we used to call it about ping you know pinging the ball so I us to spend time and even when the grass was wet and just making the ball
Like sh you know like zipping it you know and pinging it they getting that noise and even when I got to Bournemouth there’s a c we’ always spend time out there so it’s only suddenly you do like when I watch M I could see it now even
Playing against him i’ think I’ve got I’m going show you on your left foot but I still couldn’t stop him playing the one with the outside of his right foot around me and then get in the other side like around the corner well I was I was saying to sha
Today that’s the first time I see yesterday when Jones does that for Liverpool I no one does it get it and then just outside of front and go where did you get that from Paul cuz I used to do all the time my dad used to say
Around the corner what did you where because it come it was such a big part of your game yeah I just F see pictures I you know that was the one thing I could see I had Vision that’s what I see with Freddy he sees pictures he sees the
Game no but what I mean is like in the part when you used to play football against like bigger kids son used to like drag it and roll it and flick it around the corner yeah I would yeah I would just yeah quickly move the ball I
Wasn’t one of them people I didn’t have all the skills that you know I hear people say now about you know ocus Pocus and things I I don’t I don’t understand all them skills I didn’t have them that’s why Freddy don’t do them as you say there’s no point in me teaching
Freddy something I can’t do no point you know I couldn’t show him a video of me with that but what I can do is go get the ball pass it move it pass it move it the game will never change you know never change you can have two you’ll
Have two dribblers in a football team when you get to 11v 11 if you’re lucky if you’re lucky after that you’ve got to be out to pass and move it’s a I want to I want to pick you up on something because we’ve had this conversation before because when we were when you
When our boys were at Chelsea and we were talking about whether to put your boy at Chelsea you had a like full great education as well and you said sometimes you know I want to see that they pass the ball more and I was a bit like at
The time yeah yeah and I you know cuz I’ve got pass Bo’s a bit of a passer and but I I I would say if Bo was a dribbler and I mean a really good dribbler I be like you keep dribbling don’t worry about it like Dad said it there and it
Made me actually think about it so I’m almost contradicting last time I came on the on the on the the project footballer we I was talking about no no you got a part but I was probably thinking more about what’s best for my son but if I if
I had a like a young brilliant dribbler as long as he was Ed like bright I would say you not you should never look at the ball when you dribble when players put that when they put their head down there looking at the ball forget about it you
Should that ball should be attached to your foot you know where you are you know where every player is on the pitch but if you’ve got a good dribbler as long as they cast it at the right time that’s the thing that’s the thing it’s decision making are we got some
Unbelievable dribblers at Chelsea but that that’s what I was going to say that it’s something that I’ve learned quite Rec recently I think more than a years of working with you with our group my mind has changed a bit in terms of that some kids are suited very very early on
You can see in their personality you can see genetically the way they run the way that they dribble they are probably going to be a wide player it suits them to dribble and be that type of player whereas you’ve just said with your kid Freddy he’s not going to be that type of
Kid so why are we wasting time getting him to do so much dribbling work I do understand set midfielders you look at dong he breaks lines like you set midfielders do carry the ball so they need a bit of that 1 V one and break
Lines but do they need as much I think the way that you’ve work so much with Freddy on getting him on half turns helping him receive the ball creating his 360 awareness so good he’s going to be an amazing Center midfielder and it’s great that you’ve probably like
Identified that early whereas I think back in the day I would be coaching players with a one-sized fits-all approach and I think it was something you even introduced to me Jamie where I think if you remember the first team that Bo came into we had LJ Quinn
Montana um LJ and Quinn have gone on and I think they’ve got their Scholars now they’re they’re doing well in the game but I would be much like just dribble just play no not affect anything yeah no I I can I can that’s how I’m not saying
It’s the right way that’s how we used to play you know we went to the park and just played football I never I never went to an academy I was at 12 years of age I just went to the park till it got dark and played football and you know
Played up for the for the district I had to play with bigger boys but I I if I had a k i I have nothing against dribbling nothing but I think I think that I probably didn’t Coach Bo the right way in that first team because the
Game was bypassing him if you remember he was under six playing with them older ones and LJ was very dominant on the ball quite rightly very good dribbler but then Bo wasn’t touching it and I think you were having conversations I didn’t really realize it at the time but
You were kind of a bit probably a bit shocked that this is the way that football is being done I think do you remember it can you take a mind back well yeah I think because what happens when someone scores a goal the next thing the parents you got scor now you
Go and get a goal so they get as greedy so I think that you have to just know what you’re good at so if you got your dribbler you have your dribbler but then they’ve got all of a sudden sometimes they got to share the ball or
Maybe it’s up to the coach to say all right now you’ve scored a couple of goals can you maybe play two tcks for me can you maybe get it and can you pass it to someone else or and then because if you start winning 13 14 nil and you had
A really talented side it almost defeats the object so then you say okay like maybe do eight passes a goal so if you can keep it eight passes you know to each other that ends up being a goal as well so just making having little games
In their head so they don’t just all of a sudden become goal obsessed and the individual but I’m Al you know but I also there is a part where if my boy was that dribbler and he would start doing things but I would also pick him up and
Say Bo you keep losing the ball now maybe pass it next time because you’ve got someone in a better position because you know as I say head down dribbling is not for me when kids do that I don’t understand sometimes where coaches don’t just say look even pull them to one side
And say look you’ve lost it twice there you keep doing the same things wrong why don’t you share it and let somebody else but who’s in a better position take that opportunity you know that’s where I I’m a little bit you know if you’ve got a brilliant dribbler encourage him if you
Haven’t don’t just make him do it because everyone else is doing it because they’re not that player it’s like Paul’s got a really talented young boy and Freddy he knows what he’s good at that’s the that’s the beauty of football knowing what you’re good at like Bernardo Silva knows exactly what
He’s good at you know and that’s I think great example you know he Bernard Silva is not going to get the ball and run at Cole Walker he’s not going to do that you know that’s intelligence you know play he’ll play and give him go you know
Dribblers I I like dribbblers but it don’t matter if it’s like with Freddy if Freddy goes to pass the ball and it ain’t on it’s the wrong decision if someone beats two players and then crosses the ball and we SC and we score that’s the right decision football will
Never change on making the right decisions do you know I mean some of the kids but when we get to 11v 11 you will only ever have two dribblers in the team you can’t have more than two dribblers so what I try and say to P was you’ve
Got to have a bit more to your thing Freddy’s not going to catch up with you know I there’s you know they don’t mind me saying their names on it like uh like they dribble past people like they’re not even there like they’re not even there so Freddy’s never going to be
At that St you know he’s not going to get to that so it’s too late now so why why try and take take him to a one-on-one coach and go right make my boy dribbler his brain tells him if there’s two players in front of him I
Need to pass the ball it was interesting Harry’s perception and he’s probably not just watched Bo but his nephew you’ve got another UMES Mark boys play for Bournemouth yeah so he’s seen a lot of Academy football but it’s interesting to hear him say that his perception ismy are all pass pass
Pass and he doesn’t see dribbling but is that what you’ve guys have seen you know what I always used to talk to J to Jamie about because you know it was I’m not going to lie you know everybody knows it it was really heads or taals with Fulham
And Chelsea because Freddy’s he is he’s different you know he’s you know he gets it and passes the ball he don’t mess about he gets it passes it you know the one thing I always say to him as well if you get it and pass it Jamie always used
To say to me be careful because it’ll get to the stage he’ll get it and pass it and he’ll never see it again and you know he is right sometimes there you know he’ll get it give it don’t get it back get it give it don’t get it back
But I always say to him just keep on playing your game don’t play another game cuz you’ll get left behind and he will you know he’s not going have the players feet I’ve just said there but they won’t have his vision you know they won’t have his vision you know I I know
That but they W he won’t have their feet he won’t have their feet so he’s got to keep on doing the right thing it is past past past in academ is is pass pass pass they want you to pass they want you to make the right decision it’s just the
Right decision if you get someone and you run at someone or you get the ball you know Freddy might get the ball yeah and and he’s a passer and he gets it and he passes it straight away they might go you know the coach will go Freddy entice
The player in take that extra touch take a you know half dribble or take you know but it what parents have to get used to is Freddy’s thing is he’s got to St the ball a little bit longer so that means it might be to draw you in and then
He’ll pass it instead of passing it too quickly but then other kids one is to pass the ball and not dribble so much so parents have to understand sometimes that when my boy gets the ball and he goes to dribble past someone and he don’t get past them and he they go
Brilliant unlucky out well done Freddy and then a dribbler gets the ball and he dribbles and loses it and they go pass the ball they got to understand that everybody’s got different situations to do it so you might be told you got to pass the ball Freddy’s been told to stay
On the ball a couple of times longer you know we got to understand that but football never change it’s so right decision it’s so difficult as well Paul isn’t it cuz I think now when I’ve seen going through the acmy with with my boys that the more as I’ve got older I’ve
Started to appreciate because SE when they’re 678 you do think you start to panic are they going to be good now can they do but I actually don’t think you can really tell until a kids hit puberty where they’re going to end up because that’s really the everyone hits it in
Different ways they start to maybe go out with their friends then you really realize you know who wants to be a footballer what size are they because that I use the phrase man he’s a man boy you know like there’s some kids at 1011 they can kick the ball so much harder
Than anyone else they can run through kids some little kid that at that age at 6 seven is probably a little bit timid bit scared thinking is his big boy running at me he’s going to run through me whereas when he gets to 13 14 all of
A sudden he’s grown up he feels a bit stronger that big kid isn’t as big anymore and he’ll take the ball off him because he’s not learned how to pass it yeah so until I I think until you get to that age as long as you got a good
Football education I don’t think you ever lose how to play football but it’s the ones that haven’t got the football brain but are so much stronger than anyone else 8 n 10 they’re the ones that they get lost at 14 15 16 because they haven’t got the brain to go with their
Strength and everyone else then catches them up because they’ve hit puberty yeah and there’s a lot of hurdles along the way you know as you say go out you know then all of a sudden drink friends you know I mean they’re all hurdles that you
Have to jump over along the way they are you know people look at me and I go oh he’s drunk he’s done this he done that you know what one sacrificed more than me when I was younger no one I never got to I Bea I never got to them places with
My mates for weekends or weeks away you know I was like dedicated at the highest level people have this Obsession I’ll look he was a wild boy you know later on in time but not made up for it later not yet but that was when I’d made it you
Know don’t try and do that and then try and make it you know I was lucky enough and fortunate enough that I made it and then my addiction sort of kicked in yeah but we play two different sports at the moment we play two different we play
Seven 7v7 at the moment where you can get the ball off the goalie beat every player and score a goal and it could be easily done it’s not real life though is it no soon as we get to 11v 11 complete you you’d think we were playing two
Different sports cuz that can’t happen it it will never happen you know Messi don’t even do that I mean I don’t think Pelle God bless him did that and escaped to Victory even though he said he would but he didn’t do you know what I mean so
It it’s it’s the ones who get the message it’s the ones who get the message you have to love football you have to love football cuz that will catch up with you would it Jame if you don’t love football it will catch up with you but everybody’s different and
That’s the best thing about football you know Harland yeah is not Harry Kane he might score more goals than Harry Kane but for me Harry Kane’s a better footballer than than Harland he has the all round game he’s the best in the world in my opinion but everybody’s
Different you got to use your strengths at the right time as I say we have in our team we have unbelievably dribblers and when they do it right and make the right decisions on top of that dribbling yeah they are mindblowing I mean did the
Coach ever ask you B what you think did they ever say to you I know sampa well he’s great would he would he ever say what do you think about what how we’re coaching the kids or do you just we do we have we we chat every now and then he
Won’t you know I I it doesn’t say what do you think we should do or anything that but he’s very open do what I mean he’s very you know I’m one of them you know people think oh they’re they’re eight they’re nine let them play like
Enjoy yeah enjoy if you want to build a house you got you got to put the concrete down first you know you’re putting the concrete down now to build a house on it you know I that’s that’s the thing I just think you get left behind
If you don’t put it in now and I think the most important thing as I say you You’ got to have a work ethic you’ve got to work hard you know I I worked my socks off that was one thing I did and I’m sure Jamie did as well you know if
You don’t do that it’s very rare I I have loads of people come up to me and go and then they’ be standing next to someone go I should have made it should have made it should have made it you go why didn’t he make it I used to go when
I when I was I think back to when I was a kid sort of 13 14 I you know Dad touched on it when what you can’t do and I think that’s a really important thing to have the the presence of mind to
Think I’m okay I’m I can do this I got a really good right foot what could I work on maybe can I work on my left foot that I realized like to become a better Runner so I would get my trainers on and
There was a run where I us to live in a place called Ringwood and I’d go for like a half an hour run and i’ I’d time it and I’d have to beat it you know that was there was almost like that saying at
No days off and that was my I and I I knew I had to do it for myself my dad never said go for a run you never got go out in the garden that’s what I did I knew I had to do it I had that inner
Desire to become a footballer and it meant more to me than anything no one was going to outwork me no one was going to stop me and that was the thing when I went to Liverpool it was a different environment I was amazed that people there they wouldn’t do extras like I I
Was like wow why we not doing extra training didn’t Tony pus have a big influence on you yeah Tony was a Tony was um like wasn’t a talented footballer but when I went when I went to to Bourn when I was at Bournemouth dad because my dad’s like he’s a purist he loves
Football and footballers and every the skill part of it but two I had two influences one was Jimmy Gabriel Jimmy was my dad’s assistant manager at Bournemouth and Jimmy was very tough Scot played for Scotland played for Everton he played with Alan B and Colin Harvey in Midfield he you know top
Player and Tony PES and they had a different side to the game now they would really be tough and they would be know in in terms of you know the the dark arts if you like you know making sure that you learn how to tackle make
Sure you you know got yourself as fit as possible and I think you have to look at those sides of it because although the game has changed now we don’t know what what shape is the game going to be in 15 years like if someone would have said 20
Years ago when Paul and I were playing 25 years ago that you’re going to get to the point where you could like hardly touch someone and you’re going to get booked and then you’re going to get sent off whereas you know in our era that the
Game was was like pretty brutal now you don’t know if the people that come in charge it platini pretty much changed how football is how it’s shaped now but you might get someone in and says in 20 well I want to get I want to change the
Rules make it a bit more where there is a bit more aggression there is you we we’re planning for our kids in an environment right now with athletes but it might switch you just you just never know how the game can change well it did Barcelona it was wasn’t it you know
Barcelona all smaller players you know Indi esta Chevy Messi see people like that all small Wenger com in at Arsenal you know got one of the greatest Premier League teams of all time you stood in the tunnel with that team and you were looking up in the air you know petite
Vier that was before the Barcelona no that was after like just after around that time so they went to that sort of stage as well do you I mean Arsenal went to that but I still think different countries is different I think if you’re in Spain I think it’s it’s done
Differently I I was in Spain a while back and I watched a game on telly Real Madrid kids against someone I don’t speak Spanish but they looked about 10 11 these kids they were playing on a fullsize pitch with fullsize goals it was on the Telly you that’s you know
They all like it’s passing balls moving you know we play sometimes you couldn’t swing a cat on some of the pitches we play on you know what I mean it’s it is different you know you have to have quick feet to get out of them situations
Where the pitches are so tight you know but it it’s also for courses see there’s this big rhetoric and this conversation that’s happening a lot online of people saying Mercurial players are dying out and the game is becoming athletic chess more emphasis on managers and tactics
Than the players and my theory is it’s not necessarily so much the athleticism that has changed things I feel with Pep Guardiola is possession football because if a player like Hazard flicks a ball round corner and 50% of the time it works but the other 50% you lose it and
Now you’ve got to chase the ball for 10 minutes managers are not going to want to take risks on those type of players and I think that has been the biggest change in my opinion I don’t know how you guys feel about that I mean Jamie they they caught on it yesterday um
Watching the Liverpool game Jamie and his dad and it was true you know how many how many shots are scored outside the box anymore because people want to keep the ball you know someone has a shot from 25 yards the first person to say something is the commentator or the
C-com oh my God what’s he shot for there you know if it doesn’t go in and two the manager throws his hands up because they want to keep the ball you know they want to keep the ball it’s it is a hard one I mean pep guardio has CH of course he’s
Changed the game and he has by the fullback coming in and playing like Arsenal do with sevchenko now you know he takes it one further and goes well now all of a sudden people caught onto me now Stones comes out and plays in Midfield you know he he he’s making it
Harder for for other coaches to try and catch on to what he’s doing you know but then all of a sudden now man city come back and they could be 12 points behind the Liverpool or Arsenal or even 10 points behind Aston Villa before they
Play again so he needs to change it up again you know it it is changing it is changing but I don’t want to sound old schore but you still got to put the ball in that back of the net you know again you know he plays with dribblers still
He might pass the ball but you give the he gets the ball out to doku as quick as possible who has a dribble at the defender or it might be fodo it might be greish you know I know greish don’t dribble as direct as what he usually he
Was at Villa but they have a way of playing you know but it will move on again it’s Jamie’s right what’s the game going to look like in 15 years I mean we might not even have refs in 15 years it might you know it that is it really Paul
Yeah because you we just because it’s changed so dramatically since we played yeah because you know I I always you know think back to when I played the first 20 minutes of the game we were told you know that ball comes into you you just turn it around the corner earn
The right to play whereas now straight up as soon as the game starts you’re playing it back to your goalkeeper he’s playing it and you play you know you playing into Midfield you’re taking risks at the back you know there it’s changed in such a manner with and and I
Think the biggest change without doubt has been goalkeepers okay because goalkeepers now like in my day they weren’t you know the last thing you want to do is have your goalkeeper touch the ball because they were not great on it whereas now they give you that extra man
When you’re building up from the back they’re so confident you know that look at what Brighton do and deser be it’s so unique you know they take so many risks but they’ll look at the risk and they look at the reward and it outweighs you know taking you know anything that will
Come against that so I I I got you know I I look now I think God I would love to play in this era yeah because I know they talk about athletes but the pitches are so good you don’t ever get a bubble you know you’re receiving the ball every
Time you’ve got it no one really can foul you or hurt you whereas in 20 20 years ago if we played against Paul we I would have said to somebody because he’s a danger man we got you got to try and leave a bit on him you know nowadays if
Anyone does a bad tackle you know like the there was a ciso tackle on um Anthony Gordon in the cup game we were doing don’t it wasn’t a great tackle he was late did he mean it I I genuinely I’d like to think not because in this
Day AG of two minutes doing a tackle like that but in my era if you had a chance to do someone early that was exactly what you did so the game is now moved in such a way that it does works so much better for technical players but
My theory is it’s not so much coaches I think sometimes players are scared to make or to do something different because they don’t want to become a meme they don’t want to make a mistake so they’ll go safe joggen klopp touched on it with Curtis Jones and he said I want
Him to use that ability that he’s got more because sometimes he plays safe because I think players are now they’re scared to make a mistake because of what can happen on the back of it whether it’s like a social media meme or they could get criticized you know and they
Worry about what maybe pundits or the Press might say about them there’s not that freedom anymore that we perhaps were lucky enough to play him well you was at the you was you done the game for sky on a Chelsea game the other night against Newcastle I went with
Freddy I thought it was a testimonial at times it’s played at such a slow pace and everybody just stays on the board cuz no as you say no one can tackle anybody no one goes and gets in people’s faces when people get in their faces like Aston Villa did with Man City two
Weeks ago Man City couldn’t stop giving the ball away because everybody got got close that’s not the way the game is anymore you know teams you know who would have said even 10 years ago that the center offs going to stand in the six yard box and get the ball off the
Goalkeeper I mean or the center off will pass it to the goalkeeper for the goalkeeper to start that is more entertaining cuz I just want to put counter to but no one no one hardly ever scores from that situation ever no but you hold the ball you you want the ball
On the ground you got more Chan of scoring if the ball’s on the ground but I I don’t I mean every every Club does it every Club does it and do it at least 30 times a game yeah so if you times that by thousands and thousands I don’t
Think I’ve seen more than two goals ever in the Premier League where the goal is past the boy in the six-yard box and they’ve knife gone through a knife through butter and scored at the other end I mean it causes more problems than it doesn’t cause you know and we we’re
Finding you you’re doing that in the lower leagues now but but you draw space behind so there are you know Arsenal City if they press so high up there are occasions where they will go behind yeah like bright Brighton are a good example I love watching Brighton Brighton will
Go all the way home to start again yeah and he coach he coaches in a way where he gets patterns and every time they get the ball in a certain situation he will move players into position they get they they’ll stop it and it’ll show them on a
On a screen during training sessions deser he’s pretty unique but I think a lot of coaches now managers actually do it because they feel they have to because it’s a modern day and if you don’t you look like a dinosaur coach so okay we but if you said to a lot of
Coaches what you really when you when we have a goal kick here and you’re playing it out to your Center back are you really is that really what you want to do because my fear my feeling is some coaches would rather get it long work on
The second ball maybe try and play in there their half and then work with the ball and I don’t think but some I feel that’s just a modern game now but like if we think about like City over the years and the Barcelona where they would
Force a team to play that long ball and then company would win the header and now man city are holding on to the ball for 10 minutes and you’re drained and statistically I’m for that by the way because that’s what I S to me now going playing def if you’re playing with rodri
Plays for for Man City that would be a dream he’s just popping the ball around he’s so comfortable on it he’s like a free man he’s like the quarterback in that position you can’t get near him so I do I’m not trying to say I don’t like
It I love what Pep’s done he’s revolutionized the game but he’s revolutionized the game with the players that he has and he signs but there’s some coaches that I think they got they play like Paul meron says you know like Paul says I we’ll watch a game in the
Lower league and when I watch I watch Monday morning on Sky there’ll be lower league games conceding goals 95% of them will be because they tried to play out from the back and the playing that was Center back that unfortunately can’t play football but the coach who thinks
He’s turned into Pep Guardiola they give the ball away cost himself a goal and it’s like just if you can’t play you got to work to the you know what you’ve got you can’t just all of a sudden turn into we’re going to become a football team if
You haven’t got those players that can do it I agree I’m just going to interrupt the podcast for 30 seconds to tell you about we make footballers we make footballers are the largest football coaching provider to Children Age 4 to 12 in the UK operating across 200 facilities we focus on developing
The individual working on the Technical and physical components of the game and it’s had amazing results with hundreds of our ex players joining professionaly and four of our ex players currently playing in the Premier League our program is built around small-sided play using indoor and outdoor facilities visit our website we make football.com
To see if we have a training facility in your area can you guys see a reason why we haven’t produced as good Defenders maybe as some of the other nations uh because of YouTube probably everybody watching watches YouTube and watches everybody doing skills and want
To be you know whoever it may be now everybody wants to be Bellum now everybody wants to play midfield because Jude Bellingham you know PE what you got to be careful of and as I’ve said this before there’s so many unbelievable dribblers at the moment you you know
Watch dribblers but no one has an interest in defending at the moment you get the odd kid who who wants to defend everybody else got no interest so the dribblers skip past the kids like they not there cuz they’re not but the thing is then when you get to 12 13 14 years
Of age then you’re coming against someone who’s going to get low they’re going to jockey you they’re going to be as quick as you and they’re going to work you out and go right what foot are you in so then you got to change your Solutions that’s what I say about
Dribbblers you know at the moment we have no Defenders there’s hardly any Defenders joh Stones is Jon Stones is one where you’d say John is a we Rio F now many years ago John is of that ilk you know that he can step into Midfield
And I that’s what I would love to see us do you know if you’re going to play you know with a with a back four Jon stones and I mean who his partner can be is that that’s maybe the one that we’re going to find quite difficult I do think
He’ll go with Harry McGuire I don’t look he doesn’t probably think there’s anybody else Levi Cole Will playing up Brighton last year I thought right that’s the future but I’ve been disappointed with him since he’s he’s not playing he’s playing but even when he’s played center
Back he looks he hasn’t I don’t know there was something that’s missing from when he played again played for Brighton I don’t know deser he just made extracted something out of him that he needs to get but no I do think that we we haven’t got the the the right makeup
Defensively that you would you would probably like but we have you know there are players like Jon Stones who’s unique John would play for any team in the world you know he’s such a talented footballer you know anyone that can go play in Midfield which is I you know I
Think is a hard position to play and make it look so easy and outnumber other teams um but we have to be careful that we do it with the right players because what managers are now they’re all sheep everyone’s seen what Pep’s done by bringing a Midfield player in bringing a
Defender into Midfield and everyone else then tries to do it you know why you know so they all copy each other some a team wins A team wins A League player three at the back I will play three at the back you know there’s not very many
That go no we’re going to stick to what we’re going to do and we’re going to this is what this is how we play best and that’s what G’s got to figure out what’s our best way of playing don’t wor about copying any other managers because you think that’s the modern way of
Playing play what you think is be the best way to get success for England I think I think colewell I I like him I think one he’s playing out position but two last year when he played at Brighton he played with a lot of urgency they got the Brighton play different to Chelsea
They get the ball and they bang bang and they pop it quick but even the ball from one Defender to another’s done quickly at Chelsea you watch it and it’s just it’s so slow across the backat do you know what I mean it’s like it’s not that
Urgency and you know and I think he he’s getting that rubbed off on him and looking at people like Silva a roll one of the best in the world of football but he I think he’s trying to play like Silva plays now at 39 and he’s 21 22
Years of age and I think that’s you know I think he needs to go right Silva got to this because he’s 39 he plays that plays that W you know what I mean he’s like just a Rolls-Royce but corwells got to play like a 21 year old with more
Urgency and I think that helps can I I going to take this off subject to what we just just thinking about with Dad there with’ we a lot of parents now growing up with kids because this is what what when when we spoke about doing this podcast the one thing that really
Appeals to me is trying to help parents and everyone wants their kids to be you know footballer what is that what does it take what what’s the magic ingredient to get your talented young kid onto a Premier League pitch a l load of luck it’s so
True you need a lot of luck believe me but you think they apparently you know cuz if we you know T you know Tim Grim way you know he is Young player that play like you know he’s got I would say that’s you know I don’t know what
Actually if you ever asked the question is that nature or nurture what he’s got I think it’s nature he’s so talented but do you think now we with parents and when they hear what we said as ex players do you think they sometimes take that on board or do you think parents go
No no I know what I’ve got to do and this is the way it’s got to be done I mean yeah Paul you’re meeting a lot of parents being in the Academy program I think you’ve you’ve had different experiences haven’t you cuz Freddy’s not a dribbler
So it’s different because fredd is not a dribbler you know and I say you know you pass the ball and you probably they probably think well because he don’t dribble he passes the ball and I understand that I understand that I I I only talk to them if they want to talk
To me but one thing will never change and I always say to every parent make the right decision that’s all it is just making DEC the right decision you know that right decision might be be beting three players and scoring a goal it might be beating two players and passing
The ball if you beat three players and and lose the ball you’ve made the wrong decision you know and that’s that’s all I say you know I’m not I’m not fast if if parents don’t listen to me if I’m being honest I don’t you know I talk to
Them and people might ask me but the game won’t change you watch the best team in the world they pass and move the ball you have to pass and move the ball if you can’t pass you’ll never make it as a footb I don’t care what anybody
Says you’ve got to be able to pass the ball it doesn’t have to be 60 yards but it’s got to be five or 10 and you got to understand the game I hear a lot of people at the moment I hear a lot of parents I was about my kid I don’t care
About the team about my kid I don’t care another thing you have to play in a team at the end if you don’t play on a team you’ll get found out and when you get to 12 13 14 kids will go I’m not passing to
You don’t pass to me I won’t pass to you and they’re not stupid or he’s not running so if he’s not working for the team we won’t get him involved you know and that I had pass my experience on and and the game hasn’t hasn’t changed that much
Believe me you know I I honestly and I’m not being bigheaded I honestly think I could play now I could play now not at my age now but when I was in my pomp I could play now you kidding me you I don’t embarrass you but you’re one
Of the best players in the Premier League trust me that that yeah that goes without saying and and that sounds it’s very hard when you got two ex players that’s what I mean but the reason why we would I think it was like a you had a football
Brain you know in terms of knowing when to get the ball when to receive it when to pass it whereas I I think now the game has become you know I think man coaches have such a they strangle hold sometimes players and they let them there’s no freedom for them to make
Mistakes and I do wonder if that is sometimes because of what the what the consequences might be or if they make a mistake what does that do with social media and things like that I think play players now are so scared of it I hear stories now the players as soon as the
Game’s finished they all walk in the first thing they’re doing is looking at their phones because they’re thinking what they saying on Twitter about me or whatever and that’s like that’s dangerous we were so lucky that we didn’t have to go with that like you
Know the worst we had to do was a phoning you know and if you would a bit if you had a bad game you get a bit of stick on the phon but at least then that would be it you might get a bit on the
Monday morning you could get on out of 10 and that was it wasn’t it what players have to go Harry McGuire’s had to go through as a players that that no one deserv but they’re doing they’re doing something right academies cuz as I say we’re sitting in now we expect
England to really win the Euros we got very very good talented young kids that’s it and linking it back to your question Jamie from my experience I mean we’ve got to now something like 40 episodes of this so I’ve been doing so much research on the patterns of what makes a footballer and
Interviewing you know top players from ones who’ve made it down to ones who are in the program making it and I do definitely see patterns you know that this is sort of 10,000 hour rule that’s talked about but if you do the maths on that that’s about two hours a day
Practice for 14 years and that probably anecdotally I hear that generally you know it’s it’s two hours of some sort of football development or some sort something that’s taking you towards your goal that makes sense I see commonly parents not putting pressure on the sidelines that
Is a something that I think is positive and that happens with players that go on to make it there’s now people optimizing bed times water there’s thought around diet there’s onetoone coaches that are good ones I’ll tell you you asked my dad about my I didn’t when I was a kid I was
So fussy I have sausage bacon and chips my mom other I wouldn’t eat my mom just used to cook me that most nights but you wanted to cook me pastor and I got older but that was when I was 78 n 10 I that’s
All I used to want to eat but wasn’t it Tony pist that changed that for you didn’t he no I I just suppose I you know we go to the Italian my dad had an Italian restaurant as we got older in bour he got have a bit of Pastor or
Whatever but I think now if you’re 11 10 11 12 and you and you’ve had you’ve done your training and you say to your kids oh you can’t have an ice cream or you can’t don’t and or you’re saying to him no don’t have any chips today or every
Now and again go and have a burger and chips I think you’re losing your childhood I think you’re actually that that comes down to bullying your kids I think at that age you because there the variables that got you’ve got to get as Paul says about having luck they’ve got
To be kids at the end of the day you know and I look back and think you know my my my older boy now I was like yeah you got to do this you got to train and the day he couldn’t play so it’s no it
Was pointless he he wanted to play rugby I pushed him out I pushed him away from football you have to be so careful if you put too much pressure on your kids they can completely go the other way when it comes down to it so you’ve got
To let them have the fun you’ve got to let them spend time with their mates you know what and if it’s a every now and again having an hour on on a on a games console or doing something that maybe you probably don’t agree with and I I’m
I’m quite strict like that you know phones are a killer they’re a killer for players right now that’s the biggest problem in our in from any 14 to 20 year old once they get on their phones and they’re looking at stuff and they’re looking at Tik Tok I don’t care what
Anyone say says or if they think that their phone is going to get in the way of their football that is the biggest modern day killer of a young footballer I think while they sit there and they looking at their screens they’re taking on useless information that’s no good
For them after a game you know I get in the car with Bon he come and chat about football he just starts looking at his phone and it does it absolutely does my head in and I think that’s a major problem for kids now they spend the day
Know at night I think before the where we were lucky once you got once you said I’m going to go a bed maybe you’d read or do something or watch a little bit of TV but now look at that little screen you’re you’re just you’re subjecting yourself to to colors and and fast
Moving object that increases your inre yeah you know C it it ctis yeah ctis I think it’s c not it’s it’s terrible and I think it’s so bad the more you can get your kids off their phones that I have a I have a rule now and not because of football because I
Wanted to have a first of all my 14 15y old BR I want to have a good education so you got I take his phone off and he doesn’t like it it’s World War when every time I say it but right 9:00 no phone mate because you need to get to
Sleep you need to get yourself ready for tomorrow and that’s not because I want to be a footballer I just want to be as switched on what Reuben I did I told you I did a podcast with Ruben the other day and he this one will be released before
That so hopefully the parents will can listen to that episode but yeah this great trainer of all these amazing athletes and with his children he’ll take the phone off them at night so that they can get that good sleep and try and get as much REM sleep as possible cuz
It’s so re ired just to be successful in life and you’re not taking off I’m not it sounds like I’m contradicting myself there because you’re say don’t have fun what I’m just saying that there has to come a time where phones are are they’re becoming such a distraction for kids and
Not a positive one now get them talking have you know find little games that you can play as a parent or whatever just find ways to talk about their game what do they like doing even switch away from football but if you’re going to at seven eight years of age turn think you’re
Going to turn your kid into this little Pet Project where is going to be a footballer by doing all these things all night every night you will end up driving him insane and I I reckon more often than not you would push him away
From the game you get the odd one or two but more often than not it won’t work that was the one thing like just stuck in my head you just said two hours a day for 14 years yeah it’s impossible you can’t do that why what two hours
Training a day for could be two hours practicing with a tennis ball doesn’t have to be or hitting a bird cage doesn’t have to be actual like an intense to our session you got what you got a professional footballer don’t train that what about swimming like two
Hours it could be swimming that’s what I’m saying is something that’s taking you towards becoming a footballer yeah and one of them things is rest okay rest is so important you cannot believe how much rest is important you know people it don’t matter if you you’re trying to
Make it as a footb you still got to rest at the right times you know I I I it blows my mind with all the one-on ones that that that the kids have you know train four days a week two hours a day four days a week you know and that’s sitting
In the car for an half an hour Charing 200 yeah but like yeah but so we’re charging we we’re like four days a week so all two hours uh Tuesday two hours Thursday two hours Saturday game Sunday I mean how much more do you want
To do yeah and that if you’re if you’re working as hard as you possibly can on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday and Sunday I don’t see what you have to do by that it’s a good I so it’s very when you sort of do these things it always becomes
Quite therapeutic for you to realize what what made you a footballer and I think so I’ve got two two situations I can speak so Frank and myself very Clos as kids now there is no way I would have made a footballer unless I had great school teachers so in my school teacher
A guy called Mr Jackson Mr broadw they’re brilliant and after school I used to spend hours playing badminton and I mean hours so there’s no doubt I was quite a tall sort of 13 14 I stretched I was a bit skinny I needed to move my feet so subconsciously Mr
Jackson would play you know so for me to play badminton was just perfect because you have to move your feet you have to get around the callt it’s sharp it’s it’s conducive to being you know for football and then I’ll go and play tennis my dad in the summer we play be
Playing tennis we’ go play golf so we were multisport family so anyone that thinks you just got got to play football you’re going to drive your kid insane be a great Sportsman we had a table tennis I mean it sound like you know we had a
Few quitters but my dad got a table when we table tennis table we had a snooker T we go play snooker at the local snooker Hall play sports because every every other sport that you play snooker there is a in a in a in a weird way will be
Good for beneficial for your football because it’s problem solving badminton is all about working your feet same with tennis it’s so important and Frank was to say Frank was an unbelievable cricket he could have played for Essex and he would play tennis for me in the Summer
Frank could play All Sports I could play All Sports even now I’ll give anyone a game at table tennis or B or whatever snooker and that’s what you have to be able to do because if you’re going to if you think that there’s only one way to
Do it and it’s going all all in on football you’re going to drive yourself mad and you’re going to drive your young kid mad so be really open-minded about learning as many different disciplines different sports you you’ll get appreciation of other sports people learn from what it takes to be a great
Badminton player tennis player rugby player all these different sports there’s some examples of you do agree or would you agree with that M yeah again I I put that down to rest you’re away from football So you you’re giving your mind a rest you can’t just constantly keep on thinking football I
Like I like the bad I’ve done that I played a lot of tennis I I I was good at tennis I played tennis because you always you watch any professional tennis player they are always moving they never stand still but on tennis for young kids in my experience I’ve seen I’ve seen a
Few kids quite flat-footed and I thought you know what I wonder if the tennis is impacting their feet well you’re not playing tennis probably you should always be on your toes at tennis that’s the one thing you got you not lean back on your heels well youan maybe when you
Take a shot depends if you’re bouncing you’re bouncing yeah you’re always bouncing you’re always moving I like the padon one you knowa you Mercy’s got his phone at he’s booking Bing b ready just shck on the internet they’re Chief Andre Agassi Tiger Woods the Serena William sisters yeah the William
Sisters their parents drove them to be those athletes from a very very young age I did yeah I I I I do understand what you’re saying you’re talking they’re like they’re extreme you just named the the the the in the world at what they all of them were the best in
The world at what they did and Agassi and Tiger Woods did have breakdowns as they got older psychologically AG I’ve read AG’s book he talks about the dragon and the dragon was a his dad had a um a machine that used to fire balls at him
And he reckoned it was at such a ferocious speed that he used to have to spend hours and it used it now he talks about it I think after he’ retired you know it made him ill you know he was so scared of it he didn’t have a good
Relationship with his dad now that works two ways because if he hasn’t got the dragon he doesn’t make the the amazing tennis player that he does so there always has to be a consequence with with hard work and to be if you want to be any top Sportsman the dedication and a
Sacrifice you have to make when your mates are going out to party at 16 17 like M said and you you’re you’re turning around and there’s a good part and there’s a there’s a girl you really like and you want to go and see her but
You’ve got a game the next day and you to weigh it up do I go and try and get my get a kiss or am I going to stay in tonight and get a hattick there there there’s there is what it’s all about and that’s the sacrifices you have to make
You know I did both no I didn’t by the way I didn’t kiss the girl about 19 mon I swear to God honestly H but we made up for it though B yeah yeah you can say that again see that’s why you want your kids to be
Footballers yeah but I say that I and I do and I’m I’m sitting here now so I’ve got a 2-year-old so I’ve I’ve dived back in now I’m not going to lie I see Freddy Freddy’s eight eight eight and and he left he’s a lefty isn’t he yeah yeah
Right he was the most right-footed player everyone in my family’s always been right footed now Rafa has come out and he’s a left footer freda’s dad was a tennis coach Freda six she’s 5’9 510 she’s going to be tall and they’re ask times when I I I I think to myself and I
I’ve stood on the sidelines you know watching football it’s been so good to me I adore the game you know my granddad was was such a big football fan my brother uncles everyone you know and it’s been so good to me yeah but there
Are times when I I look and I go do I want to go through that again like parents shouting I’ve seen under seven dads fighting each other and or do I think you know what maybe I try if he want if he wants or if he’s talented
Maybe take him into tennis maybe take him into golf you know golf’s a massive passion of mine you know individual sports I think can send you a bit mad as well but sometimes there are there are elements of football and the way it is now and the parents and the hunger and
And how ferocious it’s got I don’t always think it’s healthy I don’t like it I don’t like it I I I’m I’m a little bit you do like it you love I love it I love it but I don’t if you know what I mean I don’t I it’s
So long you know with someone like me it was always yesterday do you know what I mean I lived my life like I wanted everything yesterday it’s hard it’s hard I don’t I I don’t because I’m so an addictive person do you know what I mean
And I know it’s just a long time but but when we started Freddy started getting good at football 5 years old and we started to form the team and we they all started getting good at football and you were joining the sessions and you coaching we would have phone calls
Probably like 4 hours a week like you really got into your football oh yeah I get into it but I I I wouldn’t do it again I wouldn’t do it again I wouldn’t I wouldn’t do it again like if I had another kid I don’t know if I will but
If I had another one I I I ain’t sure I’m I’m not honestly I’m not I think it’s you know it’s hard work you know there’s not days there’s days I come away from I’m not going to lie think should have should have got you know you
Know I I’m a great believer as well and I don’t get this one and I don’t get this and I am one of these in football you’re going to be a certain position I Freddy’s going to be a certain position as we talked he not going to be a Winger
He’s not going to be a pice or or FES or ree or someone like you know like amazing feet go past people like they’re not even there he’s going to be a Center Midfield player or number 10 or someone around that position sort of thing on Midfield I don’t get why they don’t
Always play there a jack of all trades won’t get you anywhere it won’t get you you’ll be lucky if you get to Brighton as a Jacko old trades no disrespect to Brighton you have to be unbelievable in the last six months I have seen now watching other teams inmy and all that
I’ve seen how at 12:13 they G get people from Brighton and Southampton and places like that I see that now because that player is playing in that position every single week and they can only get better at that if I went if me and you went to college
Tomorrow and I was training to be an electrician but I took electrician and Woodwork and you just done electrician who’s going to be the best electrician when we finish in four years time it’s going to be you in my opinion because you you just had more and more hours at
It in that you know and people might go back then and go well you’re saying you need rest but I it’s all about playing football at the end of the day you know it’s us SE the pitures who get who gets the game who knows when to drop back in
Who knows when that Ball’s going to be played there all things there are definitely benefits of rotating positions at a young age yeah getting a whole understanding of the game like think what Pep Guardiola would want or Johan C I never played anywhere else back from Center Midfield didn’t you
Ever that’s okay that’s what I mean I don’t I don’t would right I had to play right midfield for Liverpool when I first got on a team but that’s pretty what you should do but I just I had understanding to watch so football anyway I just knew what I I I played I
Played center forward the whole of my whole my kids career all of it in the I be careful how I say in the Beckham documentary when he went to Real Madrid and he was saying I’m a right midfielder that’s what I am I know that position oh yeah but he’s he’s we talk
We talking you know I never played c i tra I played the whole of my career C all my kid career as a center forward played won the league in 89 as a center forward then we brought him right in I played right wing I went straight to
Right wing I’d never played right wing in my life no you played left wing and I played left wing yeah play you played now the way the modern game I I play left wing where I cut in and then I’d be able to play with my right foot but I
Always plays you know when you’re talking about Beckham that’s like you know he’d learned the game by then David beckh go hold that position and so they move Beckham into right back and try to put him Center and it seemed he really struggled with it but he weren’t as good
As Figo that was the problem but then I’m thinking why should he struggle so much in the other positions if at Youth Level we’ve given more of an education and players have rotated position then they’ve got a better understanding they can drop in and they can be more fluid
Don’t underestimate positions on a footb football pitchure oh he can play here he can play there you know kle Walker can’t play as a number 10 kle Walker’s the I personally think one of the best right backs in the world of football I think he’s doesn’t nowhere near get the credit
He deserves but he couldn’t play center forward or Center Midfield he’s a right back you know we’ve seen him at Center half you know sometimes he might fall asleep at Center half now if you fall asleep at a right back sometimes you’re not going to get hurt as much because
He’s got the pace to get back but in the F Foundation David Beckham can’t can’t he’s not it wasn’t quick if you can’t run you can’t be a fullback it don’t matter how much you you know Freddy can play as a fullback now for the next 20 years but
If he’s not going to be quick as someone else very R he’s going to get roasted I need to interrupt the podcast one more time did you know that we make footballers is a franchise business we began franchising in 2015 and we now have over 60 franchises in operation
Across the UK Dubai and US serving over 10,000 players if you’re a talented coach but don’t want to start your own coaching business alone visit franchise wf.com to find out how we make footballers can help you operate a successful football coaching company did your granddad Scout Ria Ferdinand yeah
No I remember it well because I was I was at M and Dad’s house at the time when he called up and um he used to go to Victoria Park in East London he used to live in Salmon Lane which is that there’s Victoria Park was like hot bed of football you know
Loads of good players and he he got back and he you tell he was so he said you seemen the best young player I’ve seen in years he said go he said the young kid Ferdinand Rio he’s got you got to get said did you get his number I can’t
Remember he said he had his dad was there or something we got a number for him they gave it to Dad Dad gave it to the the scouts but that was the difference then I think with coaches in in in those days like Dad was one that
Was know he on a Saturday morning him his day would be right so West H played at 3:00 he make sure that he was at that youth Team game at 11 to watch the youth cuz he wanted to know who was coming through so then they get Frank senior
And my dad would watch the game maybe they get 70 80 minutes out of it they know that like we’ve got Carrick we’ve got Lampard we’ve got Joe car we got you know it was a unique group they had but I think it was also in a great
Environment that they created because it was like you wanted to be there because you knew that you had a chance to get into the first team and the manager like I hear stories where managers don’t even watch a youth team well they no don’t hear stories they’re facts yeah you
Should know what’s going on in the academy you you know if if you go down to a club and if you were even to to just go and drop into the academy for 20 and I know they got a lot on managers but not much more than what those Co the
Coaches had in those days pop into the academy and just poke your head in the door and go and watch those kids imagine what that did because I could talk from experience of when the manager would come and if he wasn’t in the train watching you train and then all of a
Sudden he came over the training level would go up 10 20% because the Gaff is here now just to go in and say hi to the academy or go and do you know just sou in and around the with the youth team or go and put on a session send the first
Team player down there first team players I think it should be mandatory that you go and get two or three of the players that go down to the under 18s and have a chat with them once or twice a week even mentoring them you know they
So they have on the end of the phone ree James is captain of of Chelsea I don’t know the boy very well if I’m honest but whoever that young that should he should be told there’s a couple of players at in Chelsea’s youth team do you mind just
Reaching out from every now and again I think it’d be good for ree I think he’d really enjoy it himself I love that as a person now I always always talk to the youth team players you know not just it’s easy for me to say but Gerald
Steven Gerald would talk about in his book I would go out of my way to make sure the person that was cleaning my boots like I did in those days I’d have a conversation with them because having good mentors is so important because your parents aren’t always the best ones
Cuz they feel your pain they know everything you’re going through when youve had a bad day like Mera said I should have been maybe at Fulham that transmits to your kid but where there’s someone that you know that’s maybe a little bit older that’s been through it
And they could say as you play no I didn’t play that water day but I’ve got some clips would you mind having a look at them maybe go through them with me that should be like you’ve got that’s you’ve actually got um a duty of care I
Think if you know that when you’re getting paid a lot of money whether you’re wor whether you are or you’re not I just think it’s the right thing to do and you could be so beneficial to young players mentally because we we never spoke about mental health and I know
Paul’s incredible on this like mental health of what you’re going through like I went through injuries when I played at Liverpool and I must have drove myself insane I was out for a year people saying oh you’re injury-prone you don’t want to play or whatever but I was you
Know broken ankles or knee operations but no one was ever helping me but somehow I’d get myself in a place where I could just deal with it I’d go into the gym on my own and managed to get myself on the pitch but there was no one helping me but so I obviously
Subconsciously could just just do it others can’t but if there is somebody at the club that’s been through that could just reach out to a young player I think how good would that be Paul you know yeah I know I know Jay one of one of the
Kids dad uh Blake his dad Jay Simpson who was come through the academy at Arsenal I know he does it at Chelsea mentors some other kids which is good because he has been through the academy and I think that helps that helps do you I mean coming through Academy football
And he was one of the you know the people that come through Arsenal so I think you know is important it is important especially when you can guante see Jay them young kids you know 17 18 21 year olds in the under 20 just to you
Know to see and it’s and he’s he’s done it so it’s I always find it more important when someone’s done it to talk to him do you know what I mean and then you know ask him the question and how is it when you felt and that’s why I think
Gareth southgate’s good because he he didn’t play too long ago and he understands what it’s like so he knows when players are struggling or players can go and go I’m bit nervous tonight yeah well I was nervous you know what I mean when I played this and that but it
It has changed we never had any of that I mean you know would be a sign of weakness wouldn’t it Paul yeah it would be a sign of weakness now it’s it’s I keep on saying I keep on going back it’s the hardest thing in the world to be a
Professional footballer at the top level at the top top level it doesn’t come easy I know you brushed it aside just that you have to be lucky no about being lucky you got to be lucky don’t worry about that you have to be it don’t
Matter how good you are you got to have luck what I what I meant was that it’s not just down to luck I was no but that believe it or not when you get to that stage of you might get a chance to the first
Team it will come down to luck it will it will come down to L you know look look at rashford look at rashford rashford you know you hear people you he you hear on the Great Vine you know you hear about oh there’s a good kid coming through here good kid coming through
Here you’s unbelievable kid you know Phil Thompson used to to come down when we was on soccer Saturday he go go any kids oh there’s a kid called Sterling you should see him he’s Absolute Electric just go past people like they’re not there this and that you hear
Things never really heard anything about rashford never really heard on the Great Vine all of a sudden Europa Cup game you know someone gets injured bang you’re in rest is history if if that player don’t get injured who knows who knows would it be another year or another two years in
Another two years would he have got disheartened and gone you know what I’m going to try my arm somewhere else I’m not getting a chance at man united like you know I was at Arsenal you know I had an unbelievable season uh you know I started the last five games of the
Season scored three goals they’d already bought Alan Smith they were going to buy Tony cotti for3 million pound which was an amazing amount of money he chose to go to Everton I played up front with Alan Smith I win PFA young player of the year we won we won the league that year
At Liverpool you know and the rest is history and I went on and played 700 times but if he comes they’re going to play Tony cot and Alan Smith up front yeah we had David roast who God bless him who was an unbelievable Winger you
Know on the other side forget who was on the other side but who’s the S would have played there if I don’t play there I don’t play for Arsenal yeah yeah you got to be you know and I’m not just you know there’s a couple of kids that will
Be at Chelsea now just on the border at the moment you know the kid Leo casty you know you know and been a couple of other kids have been Subs you never know one or two injuries and go bang wallet and they’re in yeah and people play better when they’re playing with better
Players you know I I never really played for the Youth team a lot you know when I got in the reserves and went on trained with the first team you ask people like Charlie Nicholas they were like w God how good’s this kid but when I played
For the Youth team I wasn’t I wasn’t wasn’t unbelievable but when I played with better play and I no disrespect to the players in the youth team but when I played with better players I stepped up and people read what I was doing you
Know and you know it just you got to be you have to be lucky believe me and and and I say that injuries we had a meeting the other week at at Chelsea about injuries you know o s I had that you know things like that you know you know
One of our one of the young kids who we know just been out injured for five six weeks it’s hard you know watching the watching the kids play it’s so true because there there’s there’s certain kids where you watch so they they’ll get OS good slatis which could be a year and
A half might take to clear up and you watch that kid and you’re going my what’s happened to him he’s gone looks like he can’t play anymore and the coaches are under pressure because they need the crystal ball to realize whether you’re going to give him a new contract
And maybe you go well he looks like he isn’t moving very well it gets let go maybe falls out of love with football so yeah but you can that’s where you need that Merc is right you do need a bit of luck yeah because some kids they get
Through that then they have that massive grow spur all of a sudden they come through and then they look like Rolls-Royce again sounds like that you never lose skill or ability but you can but your body has so many different changes play kids playing on AST Turf
Now I’m not convinced is great for them I think it puts a lot of stresses on their joints that we didn’t have because all we ever did was play on grass you know so but some of these draw pitches are more they’re more solid than the
Asttr ter yeah no yeah but I think they’re get they’re obviously getting better but there are so many so many kids seem to have like Oscar slatterus now or or S which is the one they get on the back of the Hill that really I didn’t you know we didn’t have that as
Much or I think they to maybe more football and and that’s where you know I I’ve talked to a few friends that play cricket when the kids do get that they take them away from football completely and go and do maybe something else like another sport just to let their body
Heal and get better because sometimes you push through it and you don’t play well that puts a lot of stress on the kid because he can’t get around the pitch it puts stress on the parent because they’re watching their kid thinking what’s wrong with him know there something wrong is he no good
Anymore because they don’t don’t understand how it works and they are the different problems that can happen yeah I think you you put a lot you have a lot of faith in the coaches their Vision you know every every age because I don’t see you know it’s hard
To imagine your kid like Freddy gab be the same size as Charlie Ben and Sam who are like six foot across the board you know but the P the coaches see it you know they go right when they go to nine it be this and when they go you I don’t
See all that but they’ve had that experience of doing that J I mean I don’t I don’t I don’t get that kind I don’t see that Vision do you know what I mean people go at me I’ll you know be patient be this and that I just don’t
See I I think this conversation has just been unbelievable hearing from you both and and Harry um we’ve covered so much and I think it’s a lot of stuff that isn’t openly talked about especially not from people at your level of the game I mean just maybe to conclude the
Conversation and to think about some takeaways that parents might have I mean we touched on the future of the game and this thing around is the game entertaining enough anymore and you know how that links to football development in the type of players that are being recruited personalities that being being
Recruited type of way that being developed but then I liked what you said Jamie that we don’t know where it’s going to go no idea we got no idea because You’ have said 20 years it might have G more got more brutal who knew it would become such a game for for purist
And it’s that way now but it did two years ago I think it went too far where you couldn’t you know you couldn’t touch anybody now it’s come back a little bit and I think there is a bit more leniency on tackles and personally you know I
Grew up I I lived in Liverpool for 11 years and and sometimes I did a pass and I was like w what a pass and it would get a little ripple from the crowd but then if I went into a 50/50 and lunged into a twoof footed challenge the roof
Will come off interesting you know so there are there’s so many different aspects and elements of the game that haven’t change and it will never change because even now if you get your tackle right or you go through something this football’s working class and that’s what
They want to see and that’s still is that still the same now do you still see that in the crowds now yeah 100% yeah I mean every fan every fan I I was at Chelsea the other day still think Newcastle fans are the best fans in the
Country in my opinion I I I mean it’s a it’s a Tuesday night in London and a packed the whole away end I mean it was unbelievable and didn’t stop singing all they want to See’s hard work good all them people behind the goal would give anything to be wearing the black and
White striped shirt and the one thing they can do if they did play and as I say to Freddy the only Fe you can assure someone is working hard now they know they could work hard they haven’t got the talent of the players on the pitch
So just got to work hard my thing I always I think every parent should take away leave it to the coaches if you was that good you’d be the coach at Chelsea or you’d be the coach you interview reee James’s father and he was putting in
Work he he didn’t just leave it to Rees by himself because he bad diet position he played I’m not saying I’m saying when you’re at the training round when you’re training leave it with the coaches you know I see kids coming over to their dad and their dad’s
Whispering something to to them I mean just leave them that you know when you come away when you when I’ve watched the game then I come away and go Freddy what do you think or you know I think we need to work on that cu today you know you
Wasn’t you wasn’t scanning enough if you’re not scanning enough there’s only going to be one pass on but to be devil advocate that’s not what Frank Lampard Senor did in what way it sounded like he wasn’t not pressurizing Frank yeah what Mercy is saying is that because he
Played he understood so when he’s telling Frank to run or to Chase or to do something it was because he had an education of playing the game but sometimes if you get a parent that hasn’t necessarily played and they’re shouting at their kid and and they’re giving them completely different advice
To what the coach is that’s when it becomes a problem yeah and you know if you sat down with got 100 parents frommy now and said who’s the best player you’ve seen they all say Neymar they all say Neymar they would you ask all the kids they’d all say Neymar who’s the
Best player you’ve seen they go neyar he ain’t the best player is he he’s not the best player but that’s the way he is the game you know people look at people and they go we got to do yeah the thing is as well Paul is that you got as a parent
You got to be so smart because you’ve got to remember there are two three players in the world yeah that can even less than that there’s Messi and there’s Messi really the rest of them like where you look at even Ronaldo is Ronaldo is one of the most
Most hardworking players ever to play yeah and that that was more that was as much he had of course it was nature there was a lot of nurture that went involved in making Ronaldo the player in the gym and the physique and everything that goes with it yeah so parents have
Got you know got to remember that that you you can make a great living out of this game but you’ve not got to be messy you’re not the chances of creating a Messi are 0.1% or not even no no forget it forget it you but you can you can if you do
Things right and you get a really disciplined uh kid very similar to what I said after that game uh after the the the Brighton game when I I watched West H play I talked about Jared boen and then like a sort of thing that went a
Bit viral about I just said like a lot of coaches now and they’re teaching their kids to do flick Flacks and skills it’s not about that it really isn’t anymore it’s just if you just got a good attitude you want to run you want to
Work hard and play for the team you got a good understanding of when you’re going to pass it and when you’re going to keep it and when you got to move with it and you’re a good person in and around the dressing room which is what
Brenford do so well now they don’t like this I don’t know you can beat me out but they there’s like a no Pricks allowed in their environment and that goes when they’re just about to start an academy and it’s in the same thing in the first team dressing room if you’ve
Got people in there that think they’re better than they are that don’t pass when they should should create a bad atmosphere they won’t have them they’re rotten apples and that’s you can actually earn a great living out of the game by just doing the really simple
Things well and that’s by passing it and moving working hard listening turning up for training on time and just doing the basics they’re big things they’re big things like that like I think you just nied it in the bud there Jo Harry might not necessarily like that because maybe
It’s contributing towards a less potentially a less entertaining style of football maybe but the realities right now I think are what you’ve described Jamie I think for for now as best as we know I mean things might change in the future again but right now this is a
Direction you’ll get players on football pitches that will make things happen like Kevin De bruy when Kevin De bruy comes back for Man City Man City are completely in my opinion they’re a completely different team because he does stuff out the ordinary he finds that pass you know Jamie could pass the
All I could pass the all but I still sit there he’s one of the only players I ever sit there and watch when I’m watching a Telly and I’m like how did he find that pass where was that where was that I you know I don’t see too many of
Them but Jamie is right you don’t have to be the best you just got to be good do the right things you know turn up for training on time turn up for training and I you know I say that Lucy but people go yeah not tonight I won’t come
Tonight bit cold tonight traffic’s bad you know turn up for training you know the messes and they’re one in a Gillian a messy is but there you know to be a professional footballer is you have whoever gets to being a professional footballer at any level has one of the
Best jobs in the world you’re getting up to play the best sport in the world you’re getting paid for it you’re out in a fresh air every day and you’re idolized by the people that support you there ain’t many jobs like that in the world there’s not many jobs and but the
Main thing is you can have all the skill in the world you have to work hard as well you have to work hard you have to have this I have give some context here for that comment because there are there are parents probably listening to this
Now that will say well no I have got a genius on my hands and trust me if you have you do everything you can to make them be that Difference Maker but I’m I’m talking about like an 80% of players that could make a brilliant living I’m talking about people like Connor
Gallagher who was obviously got a great attitude works hard diligent does all the right things looks after himself on and off the field now and then of course you’ve got like players that can just like your de bruers that just see the game to a different level to everybody
Else and that’s why they’re so loved but there are but just do the right things do the basics really well and you can have an incredible living out of the best job in the world like you say Paul that I I every there’s not a day goes by
Or a night I don’t sleep where I don’t dream about football and playing the game every dream I have at night and this is might sound ridiculous involves football you know I think about it all the time there’s not a moment I don’t talk to my dad every conversation and
That’s the effect it can have on people but you’ve got to love it and you’ve got to live for it and if you don’t and if you’re taking your kid to train and you might be listening to this in the car and he’s sitting there and doesn’t
Really want to go or he’s like moaning about going or moaning about this person or that person they’re in the wrong game just let them enjoy it you know but there are it is like Paul says the greatest life if you can get it right know don’t put them under too much
Pressure let them enjoy the game I actually think what we should do in in future is get parents to write in questions for us email question what we see we’ve done it but there other parents that haven’t been that luxury and like Dad said you know I
Think come daddy you said about dads that you know lot of D there’s so many I see so many single moms take their kids to football sacrificing going like doing things that I couldn’t even imagine to give their kids an opportunity to play football yeah and they keep theel out of
The way they’re amazing parents and so there are so many different variables and so many different people that have to do things way I was going to say that I mean parents take a lot should take a lot of credit the parents I don’t think you know the the kids should really
Understand you know what they sacrifice it’s a it’s a lot of traveling it’s a lot of taking the kids everywhere and I see parents turning up all the time and you know whoever it may be you know them them parents who listen to this give yourself credit you know give yourself
Credit cuz is difficult you know you could have you could be the best kid in the world and if you haven’t got a mom and dad who who who don’t want to do it you won’t be a foer you won’t it’ll be hard to get to training you know I know
Clubs do it now where they can pick players up which is absolutely amazing yeah but yeah I think that’s the one is is getting people to to like message in just to answer their questions because you know you could you can listen to one for hours but there’d be that one
Question you me definitely definitely I mean you know you could be a genius but you got to remember there’s a l load of geniuses all around Europe and around the world you know Chelsea are buying players from South America mean this is how far we’re going
You know 16 years of age but like for what we’ve got access to with you guys you know top you know played for your country in the Premier League but you’ve also had children that have been through Grassroots football and Academy football very recently so so relevant um so
Absolutely if we can get in the room and you know we’ll go and get loads of questions from parents and then we’ll present to you guys that would be am amazing if we can make that happen and I think also the perspective of Harry you know a father who produced a footballer
I think that might be a thing that we could do more as well you know get footballers in get them to talk about how they made it because like you said the game’s not not changed you know the things that happen for for you guys parents can learn from now and then
Maybe even when we get their parents in the room and we have a conversation I think like there there’s so much that we can offer as this voice of and I would I would say I don’t know if I mentioned him in when I was talking about the
Players that can go past people like there was another one I don’t know if I mentioned him I might have mentioned it you did you did did but you know what I’m probably I am going to beep out all the names of them ones you said just
Because I I think it’s we we shouldn’t put them out there but but um but what we Tred to do here Sean I think you know for for three of because we obviously have a lot of respect for you you know with how you educated our kids and
Coaching them but it’s just if we there might be a lot of things that go well I don’t agree with that or this is not what I do but if it’s one little thing that you can take from it that might just help your kid maybe just to give
Them a Brea and because it is it’s incredibly stressful like I know I could I could be sitting here now and say that oh I’ve been so laid back and and my dad was really lucky with me because he didn’t have to shout at me because I was
Good and I knew what I had to do and I wanted it you know and I just took on board everything he said yeah but there there are certain like with with my kids at times I I’ve said things to them and I’ve actually regretted it so much the
Next day because it’s not me as a person but it but and that’s me and I’m pretty laidback but if I maybe see him put the effort in you know and I’d look at Boart and I’d see his face and I’d just think I’ve said something I I don’t I regret
So badly you know so I can only imagine what parents have maybe got problems at home they’re fine hard to put you know food on the table yeah and then they also go to a training session the kid doesn’t put it in and they take it out
On them that’s not that’s sometimes it’s natural so don’t you know it’s very easy to go you shouldn’t do that but people react in so many different ways because we all really just want our kids to do so well because no matter what happens there what all boils down to your family
And you know you give anything for them to just have a better life than what we’ve had we gave the example of Tiger Woods and Andrei I mean yeah obviously great careers Maybe could there been a way where they didn’t have the breakdown of relationships with the parents and
You know maybe some of the issues they had later in life if the parents hadn’t been so much so pressurizing when they were young maybe that’s the balance too far but I think on the whole in the pursuit of becoming an elite athlete or footballer there’s so much so many
Skills that you give your children to deal with life gave the example there earlier of like you know removing the in the evening so they get a good night’s sleep everyone needs that I think that’s pretty basic you know you know the other thing is as well with
Coaches you know you’re not allowed to you know or don’t tell your your kid if they’ve made a mistake now if you if you’re not going to you know be able to accept a little bit of criticism or a bit of honesty at times when you play
And I I was you know I then go to play at anfield in front of 55,000 people and I give the ball away a couple of times in the first 5 minutes and they’re on me the crowd if I can’t handle that what chance have I got I’ll fold so you’ve
Got to be able to take a little bit of honesty and a little bit of criticism now 100% you know otherwise you have absolutely no chance and there so there are there is such a fine line that you have to tread as a parent yeah and and
As a coach I think like sometimes I watch You’ coaches and a kid makes a mistake or they make it again and no one says nothing to him and I I think there is a time and a place where you can say John you’ve given the ball away twice
There that’s not good enough you costing the team you know if he’s going to take that and start tearing up then he’s in the wrong game you know you have to be able to take a little bit of you know of um constructive criticism if you want to
Be able to handle the correctly because you got to remember fans got a football they pay their weight they they’ve earned they earn their wages all week and they go there to voice their opinions and if a player does isn’t doing what they want to do they’re going
To let them know so you have to be able to accept a little bit of criticism be it at 12 13 years of age yeah yeah but it has to be done in the right way absolutely absolutely well even though we’ve covered so much in this episode
I’m so excited for what we can give out to parents in 2024 um it’ll be great to have you guys back in we’ll get more episodes coming through in January and we’ll reach out to parents and get these questions but yeah thank you so much for your time today guys yeah great
Conversation great stuff show and I could have been a comedian I’m not letting that one go
44 Comments
First give a like
Merson and Redknapp would walk today’s game no problem
" Sorry Dad" hahahha Quality!!!
Redknapp says he didn’t push Jamie into football but ever since he was young that’s all he’s known so it’s more likely he would have developed a love for it. We are a footballing family, a match is always on our tv, we speak about football in the house and naturally my son and daughter are obsessed with football. It’s the atmosphere you create, you can do it with anything.
I believe that you best football comes out when you play with a smile on your face win or lose
That’s what I tell my son anyway
Great conversation and something a lot of father coaches need to watch
Fantastic interview both Jamie and Paul seem like really realistic parents, gives me reassurance that I’m doing things right with my boys 👏🏻
Brilliant podcast love the conversations ❤
Its true, teaching the foundation (6-12 years) skills is an art and a specialism-its rare to see it done well. Futsal and older Coaches who have played here in Barcelona are exceptional. Without foundation technical skills, players will not progress and having taught all ages 5-12 years for 30 years, i think it is interesting that all great players develop a “Super Skill “which makes them stand out with good foundation skills.. Ie goalscorer, dribbler, passer, etc etc
Great show, thanks..What parents need to be very careful about is “ Coaches Biases”.what is their type of training or practice?, more physical, Technical or tactical (technical is much harder to teach for young coaches). Regarding one2one help, be clear about what you want from private sessions..if as a parent you do not know, ask a players coach what you think he needs to improve..(Physically, Technically tactically or socially) otherwise its just best to play in the park. Get the diet right…
41:26 he’s definitely right!! I’m currently a young guy working at a PL academy. I stopped playing a few years ago but I had to go back to playing again when I started coaching because it just felt like it there was so much information and experience I still needed to gain myself in order to help the younger boys I work with whether that’s through demonstrations or explanations
Interesting take from Jamie on 4G pitches. My son has recently diagnosed with Severs and it is a hugely frustrating injury for him. There is no magic formula to get rid of it, but holds him back from being as active as he would like. Really engaging discussion.
Great Listen, Parents are learning too and this is a fantastic example of that education. As a Coach Parent, I think it is about family values and behaviour that we take to football to create a Culture. Example values:
1. Be supportive & gracious-Friendships
2. Encourage to be your best
3. Have a positive attitude
4. Commit to the team
5. Be honest & calm
6. Accept mistakes & Learn from them
7. Be competitive, but not at all cost!!!
8. Work hard= to get results
Its all about the journey (ups and downs) & the friendships & life lessons we learn
Could listen to these guys talk about football for hours!
Some very interesting comments made!
What an episode. This ep will go viral.
This is better than PornHub. What a Podcast🙌🏽
People don't actually give Jamie the credit he deserves, had it not been for injuries we'd be talking about him a lot more. What a player!
40:00 they have this Kind of challenge / competion in Spain at Young age oh yes
You either know what you're doing ,or you don't. Good footballers know, without looking, where the ball should go.You know the 'weight of the pass'.Consistency..pumping out performances.Be able to do the 'bang ,bang, bang'…footballers will know what I'm talking about..
Parents have a vital role to play with providing the opportunity and direction. Talent and hard work plus opportunity is the key.
Phenomenal podcast!
The only thing I'd like to add is, in todays world there is too much stress growing up and kids are having the freedoms previous generations had. its not such a bad thing to motivate your sons and daughters because kids need that time away from school work, staring at devices and social media.
Lampard got the chance that most of us don't, My club manager had never played football himself. My school never knew I played until I'd quit football & moved onto athletics. Never once did we do anything other than squad in two, jumpers as goal posts. I was sub for 3 years at my club side, I'd get 10 minutes a week max, I hit 14, bang, second best player in the squad, 25 goals from right wing a season. Kids develop at different ages, all these kids going to academy's at the age of 7, up against the rest of us getting trained by someone's dad, who's never played the game. Not all about talent.
You can't say this when English football is experiencing a golden crop of young talent right now
01:15:00 We saw this at Blackburn with JDT.
He tried to copy the Man City build out from the back style. After 11 games with only 1 win, he finally get sacked.
Almost every goal we have been conceding was self inflicted by trying to play out all the time, even though we don’t have the quality of player to do so.
For JDT it seemed his desire to make a name for himself and get the Sweden job, was more important than Blackburn winning.
First game with new manager and we 3-1
Jamie Redknapp liked being injured and paid for nothing
Jamie's mannerisms are getting more like his old man every time I see him 😂.
What a podcast ! as an ex GR coach everything hits home. Just finished first time round, so revisiting again now without breaks this time 👍🏻⚽️
Talking about decision making, how quick was Jamie to swerve “getting my end away” to “getting a kiss”…. Legend.
Some interesting points here – one that Paul Merson made about playing with better players – how many are being discounted because those around them can't read the pass or run they're trying to make. Also how many children of ex-footballers are taking up spaces in academies when they possibly shouldn't?
Clubs are doing different things – Watford do more system based exercises and scenarios. Arsenals – encourage dribbling and 1vs1s. Spurs – dont really have a format they stick to. Actually disappointed in what they had going on and im a Spurs fan. There are now lots of independent academies teaching kids football which are very good. Furthermore, scouts are picking up kids that dribble as they think they can teach the rest. One scout told me, we may see a good defender but we may not give him a trial.
Yes you have to work hard entering teenage years but initially you have to love and enjoy it, kids burning out too quick these days !
Clear to see there isnt one way to success. It involves, good coaching, working hard, lifestyle, wanting it enough, luck, understanding the game and extra work with a parent. Letting kids be kids and enjoying their football at the same time. Its hard to get the right balance.
work smart not hard running around like a headless chicken
I miss old/real football…I watch my team that will never change but other than that…nah not for me. Lucky to have watched 80/90/00s. Very sad!!!
Glad Harry s remarks support what I ve written for years concerning negative influences in football
I'm 1 of about 10 people watching who know Chris Tavare
kane aint world class,,, missed wc 2018 chances and a pen. 22,,,, never delivers
Well done to the young boys who are very self motivated.
Hard work gets rewarded eventually!
This applies in all walks of life.
I remember how Sir Trevor Brooking also used to get abuse from the crowd!😮
Talent alone is not enough!😅
Ups to merse
Frank lampard was very lucky n defo wouldn't of got the chance at other clubs,there were alot of better players at his age at other clubs
Hundred of footballers who's dad's have played at the top level have turned pro
Embarrassing rubbish. Jamie Redknapp is a cretin.