Liam Ridgewell enjoyed a 17-year career as a professional footballer. After making his senior debut for Aston Villa, he went on to play over 300 games in English football before joining MLS side Portland Timbers, where he is now a coach. Below, Ridgewell reflects on his experiences in youth football, the challenges of making it to the Premier League, and the mentality required to compete at the highest level. In This Article Developing a Strong Mindset Competing against Elite Opposition The Importance of Overcoming Adversity…
Portland Timbers
Cameron Knowles has been part of the Portland Timbers organisation for well over a decade. Following a 7 year professional playing career at Real Salt Lake, the Timbers and Montreal Impact, Cameron made the move into coaching where he worked as an Assistant Coach with the first team for five years. The holder of a Masters in Psychology & now into his second season as Head Coach of Portland Timbers T2, Cameron joins PDP Editor, Dave Wright for a conversation on his journey through the…
Former New Zealand footballer, Cameron Knowles may not be a household name but is journey is one of challenge and adaptation. From the bumpy fields of Auckland’s North Shore to the stadiums of MLS and defending against the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan, Cameron was somewhat of a late bloomer – working hard to overcome his lack of technical development through persistence, effort and intelligence. With four years of college football at the University of Akron (including two MAC Conference Championships) and…