Project Footballer

Welcome to an extraordinary episode featuring a captivating panel discussion with football legends Harry Redknapp, Jamie Redknapp, and Paul Merson. Delve into the world of football, parenting, and the unique dynamics that shape young athletes. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the intricacies of 1-to-1 training and its impact on a budding footballer's development. Can a child be inherently born as a footballer, or is it the result of dedicated training and mentorship? Join us as we unravel the mysteries behind nurturing sporting talent from a young age. The conversation takes an insightful turn as we delve into the realm of parenting styles. Discover the delicate balance between being assertive and fostering a relaxed environment for your child's growth in the world of football. Should parents adopt a more hands-on, pushy approach, or is a laid-back attitude more conducive to success? Our panelists, each with their unique experiences, share their perspectives on what works best in shaping a football prodigy. A highlight of the discussion is the fascinating comparison of parenting styles between the esteemed Harry Redknapp and the insightful Paul Merson. Gain valuable insights into the diverse approaches these football icons have taken in guiding their own children through the challenges of pursuing a career in the beautiful game. Whether you're a football enthusiast, a parent navigating the world of youth sports, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes of football development, this episode promises a rich tapestry of experiences and wisdom. Join us as we journey through the minds of these football legends, unlocking the secrets to nurturing the next generation of sporting talent. Don't miss out on this riveting exploration of football, parenting, and the unique stories that shape the beautiful game.

In this episode, Darius Charles and Dan Edwards talk to Jess Warner, the blogger known as being “the one with all the boys”—the mum behind The Only Girl in the House, where she shares tales, tips, tricks, family travels and grumbles of having 5 boys. In this Instagram live stream, they discuss how to deal with teammates who are bullies in academy football and much more.

In this episode, we have a panel of guests to answer your questions! Ex-footballer and current senior house parent for Manchester City U18s and U21s Darius Charles, top technical coach Dan Edwards who has worked with the likes of Jesse Lingard, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Raheem Sterling, Ex-footballer and England Futsal player Rob Ursell and Portia Freno, parent of one of the top U8s in London join us to answer the ultimate question of how to make it as a footballer.

David is the former head of research and development at Manchester United, providing intelligence and support to the multi-disciplinary team across coaching, science, data, technology, medicine, operations, media and psychology. He also wrote an in-depth case study on the success of Gary Neville, looking into his structured deliberate practice and decision making. In this episode, we dive deep into football's biggest secrets at the elite level of the game, including how artificial intelligence will impact the future of football. We also look into the success behind Gary Neville in our quest to further explore the question of 'How do you make it as a footballer?'.

In this episode of Project Footballer, we speak with professional freestyler and internet personality, Daniel Cutting. He has amassed a huge audience of over 3 million across his socials from showcasing his incredible football technique online. As well as building his son's accounts past 250,000 in a short space of time, setting him up to become either a footballer or content creator.

In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Lawrence — Ajax Consultant and father of professional footballer James Lawrence — to explore one of the most overlooked factors in youth football development: birth month.Stephen explains how being born later in the academic year can create hidden disadvantages for young players in the UK system, affecting everything from physical comparisons and early selections to confidence, opportunity, and long-term progression.We discuss:Why early-born players are often favoured in academiesHow late-born players can bridge the gapThe psychological impact of selection biasWhat parents and coaches can do to support late-born childrenLessons from Stephen’s journey raising a future professionalThis is a must-listen for parents, coaches, and anyone working to understand the deeper patterns behind football development.

In this episode, we speak to English former professional footballer Joleon Lescott, who has previously won 2 Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, as well as making over 500 appearances for club and country.  We discuss how Joleon made it as footballer, what was his journey like? What was his environment like? Joleon also gives a lot of insightful and interesting information that parents can take on board and utilise in their child's football journey.   We hope you enjoy this episode, please let us know your feedback in the comments below!

Sonny Pike has an amazing story to tell. One that could really help parents avoid some potential mistakes, as they try to aid their child’s journey towards becoming a football player.  Long before every aspiring young footballer was social media-famous, Sonny was the first, and only, for many many years after, footballing prodigy who was made accessible, known, and even famous, to the general public, as he took his journey towards being a footballer. We hope you enjoy this podcast, let us know your thoughts in the comments!