Goalkeeper Agent

are you too small for a goalkeeper?

keeper1 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:51:42 +0000

What’s the best height for a goalkeeper?

I get asked this ALL THE TIME and over my 30 years as a goalkeeper coach, coaching all over the world the most common asked question I get asked is ‘ Am I too small to be a goalkeeper’.

However rightly or wrongly the fact of the matter is that most pro soccer clubs only want goalkeepers who will grow to be 6ft plus!

This is very hard for me because as a goalkeeping coach I have seen sooooo many great young goalkeepers who I believed had the ability to become a professional goalkeeper and I had been left just as frustrated as my goalkeeper student when they have been rejected by a pro club because of height, or lack of it to chose a better word.

I am a firm believer if you are good enough you are big enough!

The problem a lot of young goalkeepers have is when they try to get to a professional clubs academy at aged 6 – 15 years, alot of the coaches at these pro clubs are frightened to speak out. Each pro club has a template of what the ideal goalkeeper should look like in terms of stature and height and if they do not fit into this mould, again rightly or wrongly, they will not give this keeper a chance.

I am not saying all clubs do this but most do.

As I said above, the problem with young keepers who are small but HAVE the talent, they need their coach at this pro club to stand up for them. But as most coaches do not want to rock the boat and risk losing their coaching role, they play it easy and go with the template their club set out.

One part of me believes these coaches have no backbone but having being around professional clubs for many MANY years now, I do understand why they do this because for the most part, they would get ignored anyway.

The older you get, the stronger the chances are you have of making the grade if your are small.

If you can keep the faith and play the highest levels you can locally, if you can find a good independent goalkeeper schools or something like goalkeeper agent this can help you. I am also a firm believer if you are good enough and you keep playing, you will eventually get noticed.

The key to this story is… NEVER GIVE UP!

even if you have been to an professional academy and have been rejected, this is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. Please believe when I say this, as I am probably more epxerienced than any other goalkeeper coach to understand this as I have seen it all!

I believe the window to make it as a goalkeeper is between the age of 15 and 23…

So never give up on your goalkeeper dream!

Getting to a Academy!

keeper1 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:56:09 +0000

Most young goalies dream of getting to a professional academy. Or should I say the parent, especially the dad dreams of his son getting to an academy.

Please do not think I am knocking this amazing dream by the way because as a young keeper this is all I dreamed about EVERY single day!

Most young goalkeepers and their parents think if they are not at an pro academy that they have no chance of becoming a professional goalkeepers, however the great news is this could not be further from the truth.

Being at a professional academy as a youngster is no big deal and especially if you are a goalkeeper because with all the specialised keeper coaching schools around, a young goalie is probably better going to a independent specialised goalkeeper school rather than their local professional soccer clubs academy

Why is this?

Because most independent goalkeeper coaching schools are ran by ex professional or ex semi professional goalkeepers and at most professional academies the goalkeeper coaches, might have a qualification or two but in terms of having professional playing experience, they have none!

And this is what is important, experience and knowledge.

So you are best having your child train with ex professional keeper rather than an inexperienced keeper coach all be it he is a GK coach at a Pro academy.

Also if your child gets to a pro club, you better learn how to handle being a professional academy so you can best help your child because if you do not know what to do, when to do it and also be strong with the coaches at this pro club, your child may get messed about.

However rather than go on and on about how you should conduct yourself at a professional football soccer club academy, you are best reading a great book called ‘How to become a professional goalkeeper’ as this teaches parents how to deal with professional clubs academies, and ho to make sure their child does not get messed about!!!

Thibaut Courtois Wants Petr Cechs Place

keeper1 — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:39:17 +0000

The young goalkeeping understudy to Chelsea Goalkeper Petr Cech’s if after the number 1 spot st stamford bridge because of the many niggling injuries that petr has had already had this season.

Whether you want to believe the press but apparantly Thibaut has told the media that staff at chelsea FC are concerned that Cechs days may be numbered because of this ongoing injuriesand he is ready to step in!

The 29-year-old spent 3 weeks as a sub with a knee injury earlier this season and also has to wear a padded helmet after he fractured his skull 5 years ago following a collision with Reading’s Stephen Hunt.

The No 1 has 3 years left on his contract but Courtois does not want to wait that long and is rolling up his goalie gloves readt to take the No 1 spot at chelsea.

‘Chelsea’s goalkeeping coach told me he doesn’t know how much time Cech can play at the top level,’ the 19-year-old told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

‘I know he has problems in his knees and on his back.

‘Chelsea told me to spend two years at a club like Atletico. After that one season in an English team so I can integrate myself into the Premier League.’

Do you feel Petre Cech is ready to quit?

Lukasz Fabianksi Wants Out

keeper1 — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:09:11 +0000

Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianksi is consideringleaving as he becomes increasingly frustrated at his lack of first team action.

The Polish shotstopper lost his place to Wojciech Szczesny and has not been able to oust the in form stopper since. With just one Arsenal start this season, Fabianski fears he may have to leave Arsenal in order ensure a place in Poland’s Euro 2012 squad.

“If my situation does not change – I’ll consider asking for a move,” Fabianski said. “If I want to go to Euro 2012 the only way I can persuade the coach to take me is by playing on a regular basis.”