Posted by david - 14/06/2009
Q. hi richard. how tall were you at 16. my son is a great fan of you and ben foster. how tall is ben foster
A. I can't remember exactly but I think about 5ft 10, I'm 6ft now. Ben's very tall, I think he's 6ft 4.
Posted by jason - 13/06/2009
Q. hi richard , i am a 15 yr old 5'9 goalkeeper a lot of people say i am a quality goalkeeper but the only thing that holds me but is my height is there any exercise that can increase my height. any advice would be great mate.
A. Well I did hear that Peter Shilton used to physically stretch himself in order to get an extra inch or two but I wouldn't advise doing that!
To be honest I wouldn't concern yourself too much, just keep enjoying your football and try not to let height become an issue. You are still only 15 so you've got a good 3 or 4 years of growth left in you and even if you don't grow any higher it won't stop you from making the most of what you have and what you could be.
Posted by Jack Simmonds - 11/06/2009
Q. Hi Richard. I see the advert for Longshanks with you and Aidy Mariappa is in the inside cover of WSC for the second month in a row. How did that come about? It's a bit of a step-up from the club merchandising catalogue (do players volunteer for that, or ar they recruited!). I presume the other models are footballers, but I don't recognise them. Is modelling one of your future career options?!
A. Funnily enough that's my dad's new company, so I drafted in Aidy as a favour. He's started a brand dedicated to football fans so the people you see in the picture would be myself, Aidy, DJ Invisible (Radio one extra) and my brothers, Michael, Duncan and Tom! So not all footballers...
He's always done very well with his various business's so I'd keep an eye out for Longshanks! and regarding modelling, it's not something I've considered but I do enjoy the Watford shoots! ;-)
Posted by Dom - 10/06/2009
Q. hello richard, i was just wondering what books you got about the mindset? cheers
A. Ok here's a few good ones I've read lately
- The Monk who sold his ferrari - Robin Sharma
- Guide to Greatness - Robin Sharma
- Tackling life - Jonny Wilkinson
- Awaken the Giant within - Anthony Robbins
These all have elements that can be applied to football but more ideas about how you can live your life if you so choose, I found them all interesting in different ways and selected bit from each that have helped with my goals.
Posted by Chris - 09/06/2009
Q. I have just read what you have said about Brendan Rodgers leaving.
I think most fans would accept that he might want to move to a club where he could get a better salary and one that he has closer ties with.
Howvere i think what most of us fans are upset about is that he publicy said he would not leave and is 'loyal' to Watford and people cannot question his integrity. Then two days later he has accepted an offer from Reading.
Although it would still have been disapointing to lose a good manager i think people would have accepted it more if he had just said that Reading would be a job that was too good to turn down rather than dismiss the claims and tell us he is not interested.
A. Yeah it's a fair point and in fairness I wrote my piece without fully reading what he had said, I'm surprised he would have said that and I'm sure he wishes he hadn't. I'm sure he would've got stick however it materialised but those quotes won't have helped the situation.
I was just trying to put across the point of reasons for him leaving and as I've worked with him for a few months I know he's a really nice man. It's a shame that he'll be remembered in a negative light by Watford fans, which in all honesty wouldn't have been the case had those quotes not have been aired.
Anyway onwards and upwards, next season will be a great one, I'm sure :-)
Posted by Tom Taylor - 09/06/2009
Q. hi i was just wondering what tape do you use to support your shin pads?
A. I'm not exactly sure what it's called but it's quite a flexible white tape that the physio's have in large quantities! I'll always strap my shin pads to my shins then also put tape on my socks to make sure they don't slip down while playing.
Posted by Tom Boyle - 01/06/2009
Q. Hello richard, im a 19 year old goalkeeper who is currently playing at semi-pro level, i have ambitions to play to highest level that i can. What advice would you give me to carry on improving my game? and i see you mention Yoga, how does that help you?
Cheers mate, any reply would be gratefully received.
A. Well you have the most important attribute going for you and that is your willingness to learn and to want to improve. As basic as it sounds as long as you commit yourself to that then you will fulfil what potential you have for sure.
The different aspects I'd look into would be first and foremost the mental side of the game, what can you do to make you feel 100% for a every game and play with a confidence/arrogance that no one will beat you. You need a very secure mindset to be a top keeper and that's something that I feel I have developed over time and certainly can be learnt by reading the right books etc.
Yoga is very good as flexibilty is essential to play at the top level. Another aspect is power, when I was younger I downloaded some basketball programs from the internet and adapted some of the spring exercises to improve my game and it helped me a lot, this is something you could do.
I guess lastly technique is vital, they say practice makes perfect, I prefer the idea that perfect practice makes perfect. Model your game on the best goalkeepers in the world, set your targets as high as that and you'll accomplish things far greater than you'd have ever imagined.
Posted by Luke - 31/05/2009
Q. Hi Richard! I'm 16 and I believe I am a good goalkeeper. Howvever my greatest weakness is taking dead ball kicks. I just can't do it. My defenders keep having to take them and its really embarassing for me. Could you offer your advice on how to improve? thanks!
A. Kicking really is quite a personal thing and my advice is always quite simple, go out with a mate or two and whilst have a chat just clip balls to each other, mess around with your technique, see what feels good, curl the ball different ways, try drilling it low, then clipping it high etc. You'll soon find a technique that works for you, once you have this technique then work at it, practice regularly and keep improving it.
Start taking your own goal kicks and challenge yourself, how many times can I hit the centre forward, you might start by hitting him 3 times out of 20 but by the 5th game you hit him 6 times out of 20? and gradually improve game by game. Don't allow this to be an issue, have confidence in your ability to kick, tell yourself 'I am a good striker of a dead ball' and soon enough you'll improve and take your game to new levels.
Posted by Gustav Kotkas - 29/05/2009
Q. Hello Richard! I am an 18 years old aspiring goalie from Estonia. The same country that Mart Poom is from. He is an idol to me, because he has shown over the years, that not it is only possible to become a premier league player from baltic states, but that you have to work very hard to achieve it. This is a very nice site. I read that you have had some great obstacles and challenges in your life. One of them was your kicking game. It is an problem for me to at the moment, but I try to improve it every day, because after all, correct technique is one of the most important things when talking about goal kicks. When I was younger I didn't receive correct kicking technique, so it is harder for me to change, but I am sure I will cope. My question would be that how did you improve your kicking, is there some special exercise or did you just repeatedly practiced and analyzed the flight of the ball. Thank you and may your dreams become real! (especially playing for the national team)
A. Thanks Gustav, is nice to have a question from someone in Estonia! :0)
There are certain technical points we have been told when it comes to kicking, we actually had a guy called Dave Alred come and coach us not so long ago (You might want to 'google' him, he was Jonny Wilkinsons kicking coach) and he gave us some simple drills.
Firstly he would ask us to warm up by hitting 10 right foot, then 10 left foot half volleys straight into a goal putting the emphasis on following through and getting your body weight to go throw the ball in the direction you want the ball to go. We would then progress to striking the ball off the floor, 10 right, 10 left and finally a moving ball. Another point he made was that your chest should always face the way you want to kick the ball once struck.
These were all helpful but in truth the biggest improvement I've even seen with my kicking game was a summer a few years back when I was in the local park with a friend just spening hours chatting and striking balls to each other, I became so confident and just clipping balls and doing a variety of things with a football, so for that reason my biggest advice would always just to do that, kicking is very personal, find what works for you and work hard to maximise your ability to kick a football.
Posted by Matthew - 28/05/2009
Q. Hi Richard, as you're setting up a goalkeeping school, does this mean that you're looking at becoming a goalkeeping coach (possibly at Watford) after you've retired?I know retirement is still a long way off, but do you have any thoughts of what the future may hold?
A. Yeah I do have many goals and for me this will just be the beginning, I have a long term plan for myself, which at my age will be a combination of playing and coaching side by side (Injury permitting)
I honeslty believe that I have some ideas that could help revolutionise goalkeeping in England, I think about the game differently to most and will put emphasis on areas of the game that until now haven't had the time dedicated to them that I believe they deserve. I have a keeper in mind- a keeper I want to help create, it is the keeper that I strive to be and will continue striving to be but I realise my time in the game won't last forever and I know that coaching will be the next step for me and I will help to create some of the very best keepers, I have no doubt.
Whether I become a coach at Watford in years to come I'm not sure, I hope I always have ties with Watford and I actually quite like the idea of being sat in the Rookery at a game rather than as a coach but that is still a long way off for me, so who knows.
On a similar note though I know the importance of goal setting and how it's helped shaped my life up till now. I was once told the following 'people often over estimate what they can achieve in a year but under estimate what they can achieve in 10 years' So in answer to your question, yes I know what direction I wish to go, I am flexible in my approach and nothing's ever as simple as you plan it to be but I have confidence in my ideas for the future.