Posted by Bart - 28/05/2009

Q. Hello Richard, My lad has just finished his first season at a Championship club. He is the only Keeper signed at his age group (under 14 for next season) although many have been on trial. Hehas done well and gets plenty of priase. Have heard a whisper that he is being tipped to be one of the five lads they think, at the moment, should make it to yt /scholar stage. But with him, its been said "so long as he keeps growing" He`s not short by any means, he`s 13 and 3 months old and stands 5`6ish". He`s quick, sharp, very good hands and as brave as you like. Which makes me laugh when we play other sides who`s keepers are 6`+(at 13!!!!) but who are slow, not very sharp and bad handling but "fill the goal" Personally I think he will be as tall as me (6 foot) but this even seems not big enough these days. The club recently released there under 16 who was about 6 foot and signed a 6` 5" guy released by a premiership club, and this lad was decent. It would seem that the chairman and the manager want a big keeper, which dont argue well for my lad in 3 years time. (thats assuming he`s go enough) It doe`s make me laugh, have these people not seen Cassillas Valdex and the likes of your good self play? Would the likes of Banks, Shilton,Bonnetti and Clemence been signed when they were 16? Sorry, starting to rant lol. So, my question is, in your years as a schoolboy at Watford was your stature ever mentioned to you as a stumbling block. Als0, have a good holiday, a great pre-season and heres hoping you have that number 1 spot as your own in 2009/10. Cheers

Ok you've basically just put across my argument to every manager that I've ever played for!  You are spot on, for whatever reason English coaches see size as such a big deal and it's an issue I've come across several times, I am 6ft on the dot but as you say even this is viewed upon as being small.  I think if you have the size and the power etc with it then that's great, I had the pleasure of working with Ben Foster and credit to him, he's got the lot but there's nothing more frustrating for me that to see the big lumbering keeper stood in goal with the half the ability of the lad who is his understudy due to being four inches smaller and by the way those four inches equate to zero once you take into account spring and quickness etc.

  I guess my biggest bit of advice would be to do whatever you can to not make this an issue, I'm sure you and your son will have many discussions about this in years to come if he keeps progressing but try not to dwell on it.  I study a lot of psychology and one thing I've learnt is to not allow anyone else to take power away from you.  So the idea being that those who constantly make excuses for where they see themselves have given away the power, they now have no control over where they stand because 'it's not their fault'.  Now as much as the height issue can wind me up I know in a funny way it's irrelevant.  If I continue to do what I know I can potentially do then I'll continue to be offered contracts and will have a successful career in the game, the second I start blaming my stature etc is the second my game will suffer.  There is a lot to be said for being very positive in your mind set, even to the point of arrogance.  Just know that height isn't an issue and have supreme confidence in your ability to save the day for your team etc.

  I wish you and your son all the best

Posted by charlie mills - 25/05/2009

Q. hi richard i was just wondering how do you know when you go and collect the ball from a cross also i wanted to ask you the best tips that you got to be a good goalkeeper i would love to hear them because i want to be a sucessful goalkeeper just like you. thank you so much

Regarding crossing, I would say your starting position is vital, try to be really positive with it, don't leave the goal open but the further you can be from your goal once the cross is taken the more chance you have to come and get it.  With crossing try to be positive with your decisions, defenders love a keeper who will come and collect crosses on a regular basis.

  My biggest advice is always the same, love to learn.  That doesn't just apply to football either, whatever your pursuit may be it is such a great attribute to want to learn and better yourself.  Those who are successful in life adopt this approach, be flexble and open to new ideas.  Model your game on the very best and set high standards for yourself.  Be your own harshest critic, at first your friends and family might give you some stick for the changes you have made but the results will be rewarded and if you apply this to football then your game will go to another level.

Posted by Confused Mum - 25/05/2009

Q. Hi Richard, My 8 year old son has been "spotted" & asked to go for a summer trial at (another) local club. Given the time commitment (travel) / knock on effect on siblings / & high chance of it all ending in disappointment for my son, I'm not keen. But my husband thinks we'd be mad to pass it up. I feel my son's still very young - do you think if I say "no" now he won't be eligible for a chance again in a couple of years? Confused Mum.

Hi confused mum!

  I fully understand your dilemma, my situation is that I have 3 younger brothers, so as a 10 year old joining watford and having to make the 60 mile round trip 3 times a week it was quite a strain on my mum and dad and one that I didn't appreciate until I was much older but it is one that now I am truly thankful for.

  Now what you say is true, if you look at percentages then as good as your son is the chances are it will end in disappointment but what if it didn't??  My guess is that your son's biggest dream is to be a professional footballer right??

  This has definately been my toughest question this week as I know it's easy for me to advise that he should go etc but I do realise it would be a massive commitment for you but I guess I just look at my situation and think if I were sat in an office right now doing something I had zero interest in then would I be happy? the honest answer is no, thanks to my parents I have been allowed to follow my dream and because of that it has helped me achieve personal goals I would otherwise only have dreamed of.  And even if the whole thing had have ended in disappointment then at least I would've known I'd given it a shot rather than being that frustrated guy in the office, going to the pub on a friday telling everyone how I could've been something.

  If there's a way you can help make it happen then regardless of the outcome I know your son will be very grateful in years to come.

  I hope I haven't made you more confused!!

Posted by Dominic Cassells - 23/05/2009

Q. HI Richard, I feel slightly out of place as i'm a 26 year old keeper playing semi-pro, but want your advice on finger strapping. Over the course of a season, i've had a few finger benders, and actually had a fracture on my right ring finger that's healed incorrectly. Going into next season i want to start strapping some of them up, but wondered what would you use, and any techniques. Would you do it yourself, or get the physio to put it on? Thanks and maybe see you at your powerleague training.

Hi Dom, yeh I do strap my fingers too, in fact my little one is getting more out of shape by the day!  I broke it earlier this season but thankfully not badly enough to stop me playing.  I tend to use a very thin tape and do it in a figure of 8 around my finger. 

 The basic principle is to offer protection, so if the finger hurts when u bend it then find a way to make it tougher to bend it, maybe even put a bit of tape going in a straight line down the finger to act as a splint then tape over it and vice versa if it hurts when straightened/bent back.  I try to avoid strapping fingers that aren't weak as there is the belief that this can actually weaken the fingers unnecessarily, although I'm not too sure how true this is.

Hope that's of help and hope to see you in September :)

Posted by luke - 18/05/2009

Q. hello richard my question is what is a good pre match meal and how long before a game should it be eaten cheers richard

Well we are given a choice from the folling ... chicken, slamon, beans, rice, mash potato, scrambled eggs and a rnage of breads and salads etc...  Most of the lads don't tend to eat all that much prior to a game but we eat 3 hours before kick off.

Posted by Pierce - 18/05/2009

Q. Hi Richard, i am a 16 year old who has recently just found a passion for centre back. Although it doesnt have much to do with goalkeeping i have been told im better at the back than my previous postion of Centre midfield. I have been told by my coach i have good tackling and reading of the game. So i was wondering... is 16 too late to get picked up by a club? Also i live in a remote area which doesn't help. I just badly want to make it into the game. I eat healthy and hit the gym to gain strength , and what aged did you join your first ever club?

I was young but that's very unusual these days, most of that lads I play with now didn't join a club until they were 15 or 16 so definately isn't too late.  As I advise a few people on here, if you think you are good enough then let people know.

  Although the fairytale story is that you are playing for your sunday league club and there' s some mysterious scout in the crowd who spots you and signs you up, this unfortunately isn't really the reality, it certainly wasn't for me, in fact our sunday league manager at the time told the watford scout to come watch us play and we ended up winning 10-0, i didn't touch the ball, it was only down to the recommendation of my manager to the scout that I got a trial, so had it not been for him pushing me I probably wouldn't be in the position I am today but it did teach me a lesson in that you can certainly make things happen for yourself if you have a passion for something which you undoubtably do.

So write letters or get some quality video footage together, whatever it takes to best advertise yourself then make things happen.  You live once, make the most! :)

Good luck

Posted by Renaldo Sutherland - 15/05/2009

Q. Hi Richard, I am a Goalkeeper wanting to make it pro but find it hard to push into that area. I feel that I am just under, trying to progress as I play semi-professional and also play for my county. How would you go about getting proffesional in this situation? Another question is that I've had trials for a lot of proffesional clubs but I feel crumble under the pressure and not play as well as if I were with my friends or a game ( a more relaxed enviroment) what did you do when you first had your trial at Watford,? what was your mindset into playing well, which in turn, joining watford, you becoming a great proffesional? I would love to play at any standard in football and need to know what I have to do to become a pro, my dream and soon England's number 1 keeper!!! thanks :)

An area that I believe is massive for a goalkeeper is the mental training and mental toughness.  Now I wasn't born with this but I feel I've developed it, I read a lot of books on psychology and having the right mindset etc.  I actually came up with a paragraph that I read prior to a game that although very simple has taken me a while to come up with and accept it.. it is the following...

  'Prepare the best you possibly can, train hard, eat well, sleep well, live well.  Approach each and every game with an inner conviction that you will succeed, give the game all you have, then the rest is up to te football god.  The more you give the game the more the football god shines upon you'

  By me having this mindset I am at ease with myself, which believe me has taken years to achieve although i still get set backs from time to time, in fact I had one earlier this season regarding confidence but by remembering that all bad things that happen are presented to us to teach us a lesson means we don't have to beat ourselves up, for whatever reason the bad things are meant to happen so use them as a positive.  It's great that you have a dream, don't lose that, in fact use it as your inspiration/motivation.

  I've advised a few people today on how to get pro clubs to recognise them so I'd ask you read through the answers I gave to them but basically I always just say to people make things happen, don;t be scared of rejection, even if 99 clubs don't give you a trial but one does then it was worth it and when you get that trial enjoy every minute of it and just know in your heart that you gave it everything you've got.  be the best you can be! ;)

Posted by Tamsin - 14/05/2009

Q. You've said previously that your training sessions aren't that long, do many of the players stay on and do extra training or do you generally just do the group training and that's it..... do you think you should be doing more training in order to reach the Premiership next season? And do you do much strategic work, like analysis of the opposition etc and tactic talks?

Technical training sessions aren't all that long but then it's up to the individual whether he wants to do extra in the gym etc.  Most of us do some form of extra training and yeah you will get a few lads practising free kicks etc after training.  The coaches are just wary not to overdo the training because although not long, the sessions are intense and the main goal of a training session is to make sure the players are in the right frame of mind and feeling 100% for the game saturday.  So by doing more training it's not always necessarily benefical. 

  And regarding your other question, yes we get a document every week with info on the opposition, it will include individual information as well as team information.  We also do quite a bit of work on our team shape and set pieces during training, this will usually be dont towards the end of the week as it's not quite as taxing as some of the training.  Then lastly on the day of a game we are shown clips of the oppostion so that we know what to expect.

Thanks for your question

Posted by sally - 14/05/2009

Q. Now the season has finished, do you and the other players get the summer off or do you have to train still?

Posted by Rich.james.R - 13/05/2009

Q. Hi richard, i am a 16 year old goalkeeper and have been playing in goal for 3 years. I am currently playing county level and have been told by 5 or 6 ex professional players that i could make it very far in the game. I worry that if i do not get signed as a scholar by a pro club that i may be left behind and not as good for my age any more because i will not be getting regular high quality training? Could you give me any words of advice? Thanks

Well if you honestly feel you are good enough then let people know, don't be shy, the worst that will happen is a club will say they can't offer you a trial, big deal.  Write to some clubs and explain your situation, pick up the phone and speak to the head of youth at various clubs etc, if you are talented and they miss an opportunity on you then it's their loss, so make things happen.

  On a seperate note that may be of interest to you, I will actually be beginning a gk school as of september if that'd be of interest to you, I may not have the contacts at loads of clubs as yet but will certainly help you improve your game.  I'll be letting people know about the website when it's finished.  For now I do have a group on facebook that I've set up if you want more info.