A curiosity to learn

Roberto Martínez, José Mourinho and Domenico Tedesco.

They are three people who, at important stages of my career, all believed in me. 

They all gave me the opportunity to learn and develop; first as an analyst, then as a coach. I took different things from each of them, which have helped me to develop into the coach I am today. 

My first steps into professional football came when I was studying the Science and Football degree at Liverpool John Moores University. It was then that I started working at Tranmere Rovers as an assistant coach for the Under-14s, volunteering twice a week.

From there, I did an internship at Everton. I actually started in the sports science department, working with GPS data under the leadership of John McKeown. I then went into performance analysis, where I worked with the academy coaches more. That started with the Everton Under-9s and moved up to the Under-18s, followed by the reserves.

When Roberto Martínez arrived as Everton manager in 2013, quite a lot of staff had gone with David Moyes to Manchester United, so I moved up to the first team. I spent three years working with Roberto, followed by a season with his successor, Ronald Koeman. 

Roberto is a fantastic teacher of the game. His attacking mindset and creativity is something I really enjoyed working with. He always involved his staff and took the time to teach those around him, because he knew it would help him and the team. For example, he was always there to explain his tactical thinking or game plan. That helped me to better support him before, during and after games. 

“At the highest level, there isn’t a right or wrong way to play – it’s about winning”

One of my main roles at Everton was post-match analysis. I built quite a strong relationship with Roberto, where I got to learn his style of play and how he saw the game. He always had a clear vision of how he wanted to play each game, looking at the opponent and finding a way to be tactically flexible. And, as I said, he had real creativity with attacking play.

Under Roberto, we qualified for the Europa League and got to the FA Cup semi finals. They were highlights on the pitch. But for me, being in the early stages of my career, most important was learning from the different situations and coaches I was experiencing. I enjoyed my time at Everton because I really felt part of the coaching staff, and also worked with Graeme Jones and Dennis Lawrence closely. That in turn assisted my development.

I had been working under Ronald Koeman for a year when a job as a performance analyst came up at Manchester United. To be able to work for one of the biggest clubs in the world, under the management of José Mourinho, was an exciting opportunity. It proved to be a really educational experience, getting to understand José’s structure and methodology, and how he breaks down a team in such a detailed format. In the process, I learned to see the game through his eyes. 

At the highest level, there isn’t a right or wrong way to play – it’s about winning. In that regard, my roles have been to support the head coach and the team, to allow them to execute the game plan how they wanted for that match. To do that, it is important to have an open-minded approach, with a curiosity to learn. You will always learn something new with each coach you meet, on how they are ready to adapt or change their game plan to win.

That season at United, we were in the Champions League. Having to manage three games in seven days was at times challenging for the analysis department, but it was a great experience to be involved in such fixtures. I was fortunate that José was very much a teacher and really embraced me, pushing me to develop. Once he trusts your work, he really involves you. He valued his backroom staff and analysis department at United. 

He taught me a lot about different types of game scenarios, and I also learned a lot from the way he managed – especially how he handled pressurised scenarios with calmness. I can recall games where we were up against it on the pitch, but José stayed very calm and took control. He delivered exactly what he wanted, to instruct and inspire his team. 

“To work with that generation of Belgium players was fantastic for my own development”

Seeing how he managed those situations was a great education for me. The best coaches know the right time to stay calm – moments that might surprise some people – but they also know the right time to push the energy.

In the year I was at Manchester United, we finished runners-up in the Premier League and got to the FA Cup final. During that time, Belgium had qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, under the management of Roberto. We had kept good contact, and he asked me to join his Belgium staff for the World Cup.

So the day after the FA Cup final with United, I joined up with Belgium as we began preparing for the tournament. It would prove to be the experience of a lifetime. As well as Roberto, I was also pleased to be working again with his assistant, Graeme Jones, and goalkeeper coach, Iñaki Bergara. It was also my first time working with another of his assistants, Thierry Henry. 

The World Cup is a unique experience. Our first game in Russia was against Panama, who were competing at their first ever World Cup. While Belgium were favourites going into the game, you cannot underestimate any team at the World Cup. With Panama, we were facing the intensity of a team who were so proud to be making history for their country. We managed to successfully navigate that challenge, though, and went on to win all three group games. That included a 1-0 victory against England.

We then beat Japan 3-2 in the last 16 with a late winner, but the highlight was probably the next round – a famous quarter final against Brazil, which we won 2-1. After a narrow semi-final defeat to eventual world champions France, we played England again to finish in third place. It was the best performance in Belgium’s history.

To work with that generation of Belgium players was fantastic for my own development. Players of that calibre can teach you things with the way they see the game. That is something that improves you, whether as an analyst or a coach.

“My role as a coach with the national team, working with the players, grew quite considerably”

I ended up staying on with Belgium. Four years later, following the next World Cup in Qatar, I was offered the opportunity to become assistant coach, as well as the head of national youth teams. The latter role meant I was responsible for the style of play and training methodology of the men’s and women’s youth teams. On the men’s side, that went from Under-19s down to Under-15s, including the futures programme (Under-17s, Under-16s and Under-15s) for developing players who are biologically late with maturing – akin to the relevant age effect. For the women’s teams, it encompassed teams from Under-15s to Under-23s.

We worked with the coaches to create a common vocabulary, style of play and principle-based play through these national teams. That was important, because there isn’t a lot of contact time for coaches and players. So if you are an Under-15s player and you go into the Under-16s, for example, being familiar with the vocabulary and playing style is a real advantage. 

Domenico Tedesco had come in as head coach of the men’s senior team, and I was appointed as one of his assistants. He has been a really big influence on me as a coach, giving me the opportunity to be on the grass. I have learned a lot from him, especially his methodical and detailed coaching – but also his human side as well. 

Domenico is someone who connects with his staff and players, and in my case he allowed me to take responsibility on the grass. My role as a coach with the national team, working with the players, grew quite considerably under Domenico’s leadership . 

At Euro 2024, my main role was the coaching of the attacking and defending set-plays. Because of my background, I also worked closely with the analysts to create a full picture with regard to set-plays. We analysed the opposition and picked out what we needed to work on in the short periods of time we had to do that. 

You have to decide things like the amount of time you need to work on a set-play, and whether you need the full team or only selected players. Once you have done that analysis, you can then go to the head coach and discuss how best to fit that practice within a global training session.

“Working as a coach with Domenico made me feel ready to apply for my Pro Licence”

As a coach, you also have to understand that players themselves sometimes intuitively feel what is needed. So it is important to give them a voice. When I have been able to discuss situations such as set-plays with the players, I have found that they can help find solutions. 

Again it comes back to the importance of being open-minded and curious, in this case by letting players have a voice. But while you have to make them feel involved, your job as a coach is ultimately to create a full, rounded picture. And give the players clarity on what you want them to do on a match day.

Working as a coach with Domenico made me feel ready to apply for my Pro Licence, which is something he has really supported me with. Throughout my whole coach-education journey – from the C Licence onwards – I have been doing my badges with the Football Association of Wales (FAW). There is a connection there with Roberto, too, because he did his licences with the FAW when he was a coach at Swansea. 

The FAW have invested and believed in me, and my experience has been that they encourage you to become the coach you are. By that I mean they don’t dictate to you the kind of coach you should be. Instead, they want you to find your unique self, within their methodology. 

The Pro Licence is a lot about leadership and, if you are going to be a head coach, how you can structure your team and lead. One of the key components is managing a group and getting them moving towards a goal. But it’s also about keeping your staff together – not just for the good times, but through the bad times and difficult moments. Facing challenges is what builds a team.

“I think that every coach, deep down, wants to be a developer”

The course has put us through different scenarios designed to teach these skills. For example, we did two days with the FIERI Leadership training in the Brecon Beacons with former SAS and military personnel. We learnt how they do leadership, their methodology, and what can be transferred to football. 

What I have probably found most beneficial, though, is the family connection I have experienced from day one. I have got to know people from so many different areas of the game. There are male and female coaches, coaches from the grassroots game, professional coaches and academy managers. Someone on the course has been setting up his own franchise in the US. There is Nuri Sahin, who was recently head coach at Borussia Dortmund. We’ve got Dante, who is doing his Pro Licence while still playing in Ligue 1 at Nice. The diversity is great, because you have this mix of people who you often spend a week with, learning from each other.

That said, I think that every coach, deep down, wants to be a developer. I really enjoy developing players and making them feel a part of that process. Seeing a player at the start of a season go on to improve something by the end of the campaign – that is your job, because all players want to get better.

When I am coaching it is certainly about how I can improve players. Every coach wants to win – and at senior levels that is the clear objective – but not even the best coaches can win every game. So it is about having a process, a message, and a goal that you want to achieve, and making everyone feel a part of something. If you get the process right, winning will often follow.