Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2025

66 67 11TH ASPIRE ACADEMY GLOBAL SUMMIT ASPIRE IN THE WORLD FELLOWS The biggest thing is finding a way to empower players to train on their own. It is not good enough to just train for a couple of days with your club team. Even in a professional environment training four to six days a week, I was still doing extra. Players have to be empowered to go to the field alone and have a productive session, whether kicking against a wall or doing sprints. My book titled “When Nobody Was Watching” is the entirety of my career. Every bit of it was me on the field grinding, countless hours of shots and sprints with nobody cheering me on, nobody pushing me, no reward at the end. It was all because I was chasing the best version of myself. I knew I had to do more than the person next to me, training on holidays, waking up on Christmas Day knowing most people were not training. If you can empower kids to train on their own and show how beneficial it is, that is what it takes. Perfection is a blessing and a curse. I was always chasing it. Sometimes positive, sometimes negative. I had to strike the balance because perfection is unattainable. Nobody is perfect. When you think you have reached it, reality hits. The pursuit motivated me to succeed. After every game I found something to improve and worked on it. Each week there was something new. When I found the balance of chasing perfection but focusing on the process and being present, that is when I was at my best. A prime example was the 2015 World Cup final. I was not thinking ahead, only in that moment. It is hard for athletes to be in that space, but focusing on the process over the outcome is the balance you need. No, I was like playing out in the street with my friends. In When NobodyWas Watching , you emphasize unseen work. How can coaches instill a culture of self-driven, invisible training despite today’s media- driven environment? You describe yourself as obsessed with perfection. How did you balance high personal standards with mental clarity in decisive moments? Before the 2015World Cup final, did you anticipate scoring a hat trick? I cannot speak enough about failures, setbacks, and challenging situations. In my 17-year career I had a slew of them. The better you become, the more things come your way to knock you down. You have to persevere and be relentless. People ask me what the greatest thing about my career and it was all those failures. Everyone sees the World Cup trophy lifts and glory, but it was the tough times: injuries, getting cut, being benched, not playing, not starting as a veteran. Being tested from a character and mental tough standpoint, having to learn and grow. Coaching is about finding the balance of praise and tough love, knowing when to push players because they have more in them. Every player is different. It has been an integral part of my career and life after soccer. Failures and setbacks are hugely important. If a player has an easy career, eventually something will derail them. If they do not learn how to get through setbacks, they will never learn. As much as I hated those moments, they made me a stronger human being and player. How important are setbacks compared to success in an athlete’s development, and how can coaches turn failure into growth? STAR CHAT I had no idea I would be forced to become a two-way midfielder. I loved to attack, sit up top close to goal, grab the ball and score. But on the national teameveryone can do that, so I had to learn todefendandbe uncomfortable. I embraced it because if I wanted to be consistent, I had to learn. At first it was daunting but playing alongside Shannon Box we formed an amazing partnership. When she attacked, I sat back. I learned to love tackling and chasing players, and it gave me a great foundation. Later I moved higher up the pitch and played outside mid, attackingmid, a 10 role, awithdrawn 9, and eventually forward. Over 17 years the game changed, so I had to evolve. Learning that first role set me up to lead the charge defensively as a 9 at the end of my career. I loved closing down defenders and dictating to my teammates. Embracing that was key for me. You evolved from an attacking player into a two- way and later advanced roles. How did you manage the technical and tactical adaptation throughout your career?