In the first of a two-part special, coaches JON LEWIS and SALVA ESPINOSA offer tips on soccer’s loneliest position to former SCW editor DAVE CLARKE
Goalkeeper - arguably the toughest job on the field.
The last line of defence, their every error is magnified. They can also be heroes - bailing out relieved defenders or, in this modern era, becoming attack starters.
Jon Lewis is head of goalkeeping and at Go4Goal, a player development programme, where he works alongside Salva Espinosa. Both coaches also lead on goalkeeping at Leatherhead Youth FC, working mainly with the under-11 and under-14 teams.
They caught up with former SCW editor Dave Clarke to discuss what makes a good goalkeeper and offer tips on helping your stopper build confidence and resilience...
JL: "It is a difficult one. It can be an advantage, for sure, but for me, as a coach, it is not the most important trait I look for.
"It depends on where you are in the world. Sadly, in England, academies predominantly look for ’keepers with height and size.
"I have worked with a lot of goalkeepers that have been released from their program at under-13 level because they have not met the projected height standard for when they are under-18, which is a shame. It is quite difficult to get into the pro game as a goalkeeper in England.
"But my argument is always to look at one of the best goalkeepers of the last 20 years: Iker Casillas. He is only six foot, but his record is incredible. He doesn’t have the most physical presence, but he has been a huge success."
SE: "Size helps a lot, but other skills can also be determinants. Iker isn’t a tall guy, but in terms of other skills, such as concentration or leadership, he is one of the best."
JL: "A lot of the words that kept coming up were concentration, good attitude, strong mindset and bravery.
"One of my favourites was when one of the kids said you have to be crazy. Many coaches will say they would like their goalkeeper to be a bit crazy, though I do think you need to have an element of being sane at the back.
"It was brilliant to see what the kids were thinking.
"The biggest thing is mindset - dealing with mistakes and conceding goals..."
We also gave them some trigger words to take away and think about – being organised, being brave, having courage.
"The biggest thing is their mindset - dealing with mistakes, conceding goals and how they process all that. The biggest element Salva wanted to look at was their concentration levels."
SE: "With concentration, everything will come to you easier. You have to be focused on everything that the coach is telling you – a big focus on concentration is important."
JL: “The 5Cs is a study from Loughborough University. They are concentration, control, confidence, communication and commitment.
‘Confidence is massive. It all comes down to mindset. Ultimately, you have to be very resilient as a goalkeeper. You have to have a lot of confidence and the ability to bounce back from mistakes because, unfortunately, you are the last line of defence. If you make a mistake, it gets highlighted more than the mistakes of others.
"For instance, a striker might miss an open goal. You let in a goal that you would normally save – everyone goes away thinking ‘the goalkeeper’s cost us this’ when it is not the case. It is about how you deal with that and blocking out the negatives."
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