Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2025

46 47 11TH ASPIRE ACADEMY GLOBAL SUMMIT ASPIRE IN THE WORLD FELLOWS No, because you can’t brush things under the carpet. You might not solve every problem, but a coach’s job is to develop the player. And the most talented players should be challenged even more because their capacity is higher. Their bar is higher, and they can get bored or complacent. It’s human nature. So, you have to keep stretching them, keep poking the areas where they can be better. You’re a fantastic player, you’re an England international, but you can be world-class. How do you do that? How do we do that? How can I help you? Those conversations are important, because improving every individual ultimately improves the team. And for playerswho aren’t in the team, you need to spend time with them as well. How can you help them get back in? They need to see their way back. Those conversations with me, the coaches, or the performance staff are crucial. So never pretend the problem doesn’t exist? I think that’s a great question because I don’t think there’s a perfect career path. Some coaches say they had a plan, but in coaching I’m not sure you really do. Owners often decide your plan for you. I do think it’s great experience to work with young players when you’re starting out. They’ll listen, they’ll be excited, they’ll be less critical of your sessions. You get the chance to try things, learn things, and understand the development of young players, which helps even when you move into first-team football. With our first team, we still had players joining us at 17, maturing as people and players, and understanding that journey is useful for any coach. One thing I didn’t get to do was work under a top manager and learn from them. That would’ve accelerated my development. We’re always learning. Even listening to Rafa just now, he presents something, and I’ve spent 37 years in football. I played for 17, managed for three years in the Premier League, then worked in youth development, and then eight years with the national team. An amazing experience and privilege, but one that took a lot of energy. So, I’m enjoying some time now thinking about what I will do next. Tomorrow I’m going to Harvard to talk about leadership, which really fascinates me, because in football and in the wider world we need to help leaders develop. Most coaches say, “We don’t have enough leaders in our team.” Well, that’s our job, to help them grow, to let young people develop and have the chance to fail. We learn by trying things, failing, reviewing, reflecting, learning, and going again. That process fascinates me, and I see its importance everywhere I travel. I’m also playing a bit of padel tennis and golf, which I’m enjoying getting back to. I’m not very good at golf, I haven’t played for 10 years, so I’m Based on what you said about your personal experience, what would be your advice to a young coach? To find the balance between the desire to start and the right opportunity to come. One final question. What keeps your battery charged now? I’ve got my notepad out. That never stops. All top coaches are always taking something from what’s being said, because the game is evolving, technology is changing, and we need a thirst for learning, improvement, and understanding. learning a skill again. And thinking through that as a coach is interesting: Why is this happening? What am I doing? Breaking it down without gettingobsessed. It’sauseful reminder because as coacheswe get frustrated when players don’t immediately do what we’ve shown them. But when you’re learning something new, you realize you need patience, clear messages, maybe video to simplify things. So yes, it’s quite sad really, but I’m always applying everything in my life back to football or coaching young people.