The art of football training is a broad topic that involves many aspects, although we can break it down into three main branches: Physical, Technical and Tactical.

All three overlap in many ways, but by understanding each of them more clearly, we can see what we need to work on to improve our individual game.

In this article we explore each of these training concepts in a little more depth, to give you a better understanding of what they encompass and how to make the most of them to develop your game.

As you lay those football cones on the ground, allow the words of Sir Bobby Robson to echo in your mind – ‘practice makes permanent’.

The truth is that any player can learn a skill; the only way to embed these skills into your game is to practice them until they are automatic. This is why football drills are imperative to the success of both a player and their team, from under 5s to Champions League.

In this article we look at some basic football training drills that you and your teammates can practice and adapt to improve your game.

In this blog post we put some questions to West Ham nutritionist Matt Jones, asking him about how a player can correctly hydrate during football training sessions, and how this can be tailored to suit the weather, their on-field position, body composition and training routine.

It is said that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve greatness in a discipline, whether that’s piano, golf or – in our case – football. 

Elite professional footballers have undoubtedly put in their 10,000+ hours, although the vast majority of that takes place when the cameras are off; on the training ground, in the gym and in the classroom.

Whatever your level, training is crucial for footballers wanting to reach their potential and take their game further. Whether you are a player, a coach or a parent, in this article we dissect the world of football training and give you everything you need to know to make the most of it.

As the Covid-19 Lockdown nears its end, everyone will be looking forward to getting back to normal life, which will include a return to sporting & leisure activities. For footballers up and down the country, from Grassroots Amateurs to Premier League stars, everyone will be itching to get their boots back on and kick a ball around. For many, this will include a return to structured sessions for the first time in a number of months. Therefore, it’ll be crucial to prepare for this period correctly.

Considering the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, it is probably the muscle that most footballers have the least knowledge about and do not understand how vital it is to help maximise performance.

Through my experience of working with youth footballers, one common observation I have made is that a lot of them lack hip mobility. When conducting lower body strengthening sessions, specifically performing squats, they have struggled with the technique and find it hard to sit back into the exercise. 

Why do we warm-up? The goal of the warm-up is to prepare the footballer both physically and mentally for training and competition and can be structured in a way to achieve this.