Life as a Goalkeeper Coach - Great-Save.com Feature

Experienced & innovative the Southampton Goalkeeping Coach keeps the keepers at Southampton Football Club in top condition both mentally and physically. Great-Save.com had the great honour to spend the day with David Coles and his keepers.

Coles, whose previous clubs include Birmingham city, Crystal Palace, Aldershot, Brighton, HJK Helsinki (years before a young Antti Niemi played for them), Fulham, Yeovil Town and Gloucester City, added: "As a goalkeeper and as a goalkeeping coach I don't think there is ever a day that goes by when my goalkeepers here don't pass something on to me, ”

Long-serving Southampton Football Club goalkeeping coach David Coles, from Basingstoke, has drawn upon his vast experience to pen a teaching manual for those whose job it is to act as the last line of defence. Titled Goalkeeping: The Specialist, Coles says “it's a handbook for goalkeeping in general, that's going to be essential reading for coaches and young keepers alike.”

Great-Save was lucky enough to watch David Coles in action coaching the Saints keepers. Training today are Antti Niemi, Paul Smith, Alan Blayney, Scott Bevan and Andrew McNeil.

Antti Niemi – Finland International, with 51 Caps

Paul Smith – Recently signed from Brentford for £500,000

Alan Blayney – Former Northern Ireland U-21

Scott Bevan – Impressive 24 year old keeper

Andrew McNeil – Under-19 Goalkeeper

So how does David's day work out:

09:00 PLANNING THE DAY

Each day starts with the coaches meeting up and discussing the days training, whether it be 8 v 8 games or fitness training each exercise is carefully planned. Today's slightly different as new Southampton manager Paul Sturrock has arranged a behind closed door friendly verses Tony Adam's Wycombe Wanderers.

10:00 TRAINING BEGINS

Southampton train at Staplewood, just on the outskirts of Southampton and the facilities are generous and spacious for the first team squad and academy players. David's planned a morning session that begins with a gentle warm-up, progressing through exercises to encourage the use of quick feet and ending up with some reflex shot work.

12:30 DINNER TIME, FOR SOME...

As training ends for the majority of the players and they change and have lunch in the training ground canteen, David's work has just begun. With Alan Blayney and Paul Smith playing a half each in the arranged friendly David spends time with them both chatting about the game ahead and things to focus on.

12:45 THE INTERVIEW

David was kind enough to spend time with Great-Save.com and answer a few questions about him and his career so far as a Goalkeeping Coach. You can read the full interview online here.

13:15 WARM-UP

With the match 45 minutes away David's out with Alan Blayney and Paul Smith warming them up for the pre-arranged friendly. Exercises ranging from long shots, half volleys and crosses are undertaken with Paul Smith mostly on the receiving end as he's in for the first half against Wycombe. These exercises focus on elements of technique that are most likely to be used during the game and are ideal preparation for the keepers.

14:00 MATCH TIME & LUNCH TIME

As the whistle blows for the friendly to kick off it's David's chance to grab a bite to eat. Once lunch is finished he's back out watching and anaylsing Paul Smith's first half performance. He's had a quiet half as Southampton cruise into a 2-0 half-time lead, but Smith plays a vital role with a trademark pin point long clearance straight onto the head of Jo Tessem who flicks on for Marian Pahars to score.

14:45 HALF TIME

As most of the players jog off for the half-time briefing, David's back out on the pitch making sure Alan Blayney's ready to replace Paul Smith for the second half. Blayney's put through a rigorous work out and takes his place in goal for the second half of the friendly verses Wycombe

15:00 THE SECOND HALF BEGINS

With Alan Blayney ready to go the game kicks off and really continues in the same way with Southampton in control throughout, Blayney's only contribution is to sweep up the through balls and distribute the ball which he does with fantastic accuracy. The game finishes a comfortable 4-0 win to the Saints and both David's keepers have clean sheets, which is pleasing for him.

16:00 DEBRIEF

With the game finished David is talking through with his keepers his thoughts of there performances, after which it will be time to talk with the coaching staff about the teams performance especially as the clubs new manager is watching the game and will want to know the staff's feelings on the game.

17:30 THE ACADEMY 9-12

Not only does David look after the first team keepers, but he also looks after all the Academy goalkeepers from the age of 9 to the 16's, as well as the 17 to 19's which he deals with on a daily basis.

The first session tonight is with the 9 to 12 year olds, of which David as a group of ten keepers of which two are trialist keepers recommended by the clubs scouts. The session begins with David introducing the two new boys in a warm-up routine, it then goes into work on the boys hands, head and feet. This consists of basic handling, the goalkeepers position and basic footwork drills to improve movement, balance and tempo. Next is diving working on dealing with low shots and high shots, after this the main content of tonight's programme is implemented dealing with shots both centrally and from an angle.

The standard is certainly impressive and the boys work hard at trying to improve there saving rate throughout the session, after a brief discussion with the group and a warm down, the session is over for the youngsters, but not for David.

19:00 THE ACADEMY 13-16

While David is talking with his younger end of the academy the older element turns up and begins warming up. Eight goalkeepers are here and after warming up more complex footwork drills are implemented combined with handling, this leads into agility practices to improve the keepers speed around their goal this combines diving saves, power step diving, reaction work.

The boys seem to enjoy flying around as David encourages them to keep catching the ball, once the basics are completed again David moves on to the same topic as the younger group - shot stopping. David says that he finds that every session is very different from the first, but the same principles are covered on shot stopping, practices become more complex, but David demands more from his workers. Again the standard is high with the keepers being stopped when they make mistakes and asked questions as to how they might deal with that shot in a different way, it's a two way thing as David gives and listens to what the keepers have to say. The evening ends for David at 8.45 pm with parents asking questions about how their boys are doing as he walks back for a shower and his drive back home to Basingstoke .

21:00 DRIVING HOME AND CONCLUSION

On the way home David explains that the drive gives him time to reflect on the days events and he usually uses a Dictaphone to talk into on the way home. Once he arrives home he writes up notes on each keeper he's training in individual diaries. David said “Its something I have done ever since I ve been working at the club, but it gives me a greater knowledge should anyone ask me what or if I know anything about a certain goalkeeper in the future.

It's a lot of work, but I enjoy every minute of it and I try and make sure everyone I work with throughout the week learns something that's when I feel I have achieved my goal. People obviously judge me on Antti Niemi's game, but there are other goalkeepers at this club to educate also, it's my job to produce keepers who may one day play in the Premier League, so its always been my aim to produce a goalkeeper who one day will be not only home grown and play for this club, but also represent England.

On Antti, Dave said he is with out a doubt he is an excellent goalkeeper who is an absolute dream to work with, we have a fantastic relationship as keeper and coach and I enjoy every minute of working to help him improve his game and keep him as certainly one of the best keepers in the Premier League I seen for along time.”