Goalkeepers are different, that’s beyond dispute. The football goalkeeper is the most peculiar position in football. It is the only ‘specialist’ position on the football pitch, and the only one — at the majority of clubs — to have its own dedicated coach. They are the ‘first line of attack and last line of defence’ and the only one who can see the whole pitch in front of them. These distinctive differences motivated me to start my career in football in this position at the age of 10, joining the academy at Atletico de Madrid in Spain, then AFC Bournemouth plus Hartpury College Elite Academy Squad, and playing for district and county teams and a sporadic appearance for Hereford FC in my teenage years.
Studying A-level psychology has broadened my understanding both holistically and with distinct reference to goalkeeping performance, which has inevitably led me to improve my own performance on the pitch. I currently believe that psychology is the biggest factor that can affect performance. If the psychological health of a performer is low, it doesn’t matter that physiologically, technically and tactically they are excellent — they will struggle to perform as their minds won’t give them the right instructions to be able to fulfil the demands of their sports.
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