Paul McGuinness was immersed in the world of Manchester United as a player and coach for 28 years. Paul learnt his craft from his father Wilf, a Manchester United Manager and was mentored by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt Busby, Tony Whelan and more. PDP Editor Dave Wright sits down with Paul to discuss his personal journey, sharing incredible stories of the culture and family values of the club and how he and his colleagues instilled them in the academy. Paul also…
academy coaching
In our latest Player Development Project webinar replay, we focus on coaching younger players. PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright is joined by two top academy coaches, Nathan Thomas and Nathan Philip. Nathan Thomas is currently the Lead Foundation Phase Coach at MK Dons and has experience coaching at Middlesborough, Arsenal and Brentford – he also holds the FA Advanced Youth Award. Nathan Philip holds both the UEFA A Licence and Advanced Youth Award, has worked across these age groups in both coaching and recruitment roles…
In this Masterclass Webinar Replay, UEFA A licensed coaches Dave Wright and Dan Wright will co-host a discussion which helps coaches support individuals within their team. Dave and Dan will be joined by special guest, Graham Mills, Academy Coach at Southampton FC & Lecturer in Sports Coaching from Solent University. Graham, Dan and Dave have extensive player development experience in the English Academy system while Dan has also coached in Africa and Dave has worked in both Australia and New Zealand. This conversation focusses on:…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, the PDP team host top academy coaches, Mark Lyons and Tom Mallinson for an in depth discussion on academy football in England. Mark Lyons is the Pre-Academy Co-ordinator & Lead Coach at Leicester City FC and Tom Mallinson is a Professional Development Phase Coach at Nottingham Forest FC. Experienced Academy Coaches, Dan Wright and Dave Wright will host Tom and Mark for a round table discussion on professional academy football in the UK. All four of our expert panel met…
In this in depth discussion, PDP Editor Dave Wright speaks to Jeremy Sauer, Academy Manager at AFC Wimbledon. Jeremy is a coach and leader with a wealth of experience. He gives us background on the evolution of one of the fairy tale stories of English football. Known as the ‘Phoenix Club’, AFC Wimbledon rose from the ashes of Wimbledon after the club was relocated to Milton Keynes. Jeremy describes the journey the club has been on and how their player development pathway has gone from…
Jon de Souza was appointed Academy Manager at Colchester United in July 2016, after a coaching career that has taken him from club he joined as a schoolboy, Luton Town, to a coach education role at the Football Association and Brentford FC. PDP spoke to Jon about his career, and discussed the importance of coaching the individual. Jon de Souza began his footballing journey at Luton Town, signing for the Hatters as an under-14 player. Despite their fairly lowly status, Luton Town are a…
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to hear from one of England’s most successful academy managers on player development. PDP Editor, Dave Wright interviews Fulham FC Academy Director, Huw Jennings. Dave speaks to Huw on his personal journey from grassroots to his role leading Southampton’s academy before he worked for the Premier League & his current role as Academy Director of Fulham FC’s highly regarded academy. Huw discusses the rise of Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana & many of the famous Southampton graduates as well as some…
Edu Rubio is a UEFA Pro Licensed coach who works at MK Dons as the Head of Coach Development & U18 Manager. Edu joins the PDP team for an interactive discussion which covers a range of topics to help developing coaches. We question Edu on his personal journey, what coach behaviours he looks for in his staff, implementing a playing style, flexible formations and the importance of authenticity and empathy in coaching. This is a must watch for coaches of all sports as Edu brings…
Edu Rubio is a UEFA PRO License holder and the Technical Consultant at Crystal Palace F.C. He has previously worked for MK Dons FC, Chelsea FC, Nike Academy and The FA among others. Edu also has a degree in Sports Science and studies in Sports Psychology. His mantra is work with passion, stay committed and be consistent with both; and he truly believes in Team work and a holistic & multidisciplinary day to day environment. MK Dons are developing a reputation for nurturing thinking football…
Check out this Live Webinar replay with some of the best coaches in England as we host our second ever Masterclass Webinar. Filmed in 2016, we welcome, Mick Beale (Liverpool U21 Manager), Stuart English, (Brentford FC Head of Coaching) and Jon De Souza, Brentford FC U21 Manager to a live webinar discussion with the PDP team. All of these coaches have since moved onto leadership roles and senior coaching positions at Glasgow Rangers, Birmingham City FC and Colchester United. PDP Editor, Dave Wright will lead a…