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ISSPF Soccer Insights

International Soccer Science and Performance Federation

ISSPF Soccer Insights, hosted by Josh McClaren, explores the latest ideas, innovations, and practices that drive the best in soccer around the world. We speak with some of the most experienced players, coaches, and practitioners in soccer to uncover what it is that goes into elite soccer performance. From everything to coaching, tactics, analysis, sports science, data and psychology, we leave no stone unturned in our search for how to get to the highest level. For more articles, journals or courses make sure you head over to www.ISSPF.com

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  • 6 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 52 min
  • English

Episodes 6

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  • October 7 · 48 min

    Will Bruin: You Can’t Fake Winning, MLS Culture & Life After Soccer

    Want to go deeper into soccer science, coaching, and performance? Head to the ISSPF site at www.ISSPF.com, and catch the rest of the ISSPF Soccer Insights Podcasts at www.ISSPF.com/podcasts. Podcast Overview: Will Bruin on MLS, Winning Culture and Life After Soccer In this episode, we sit down with Will Bruin, former MLS forward, to explore his journey through American soccer, winning environments, professional habits and life after the game. Will’s career included spells with Houston Dynamo, Seattle Sounders and Austin FC, as well as experience with the US national team. During his time with Seattle, he was part of an MLS Cup winning team and a CONCACAF Champions League winning squad. Will Bruin This conversation goes beyond goals and trophies. Will reflects on his route into the game, the evolution of the MLS pathway, the difference between the old college/draft route and the modern academy system, and what it takes to stay in the game for over a decade. We discuss the mentality that shaped his career: playing with a chip on his shoulder, controlling the controllables, being coachable, working hard, and trying to win every action. Will also talks about role acceptance, adapting as an older player, and the importance of still giving everything even when your role changes. Will Bruin Will Bruin A major theme of the episode is winning culture. Will shares what made Seattle Sounders such a successful environment, including senior players setting standards, healthy competition, accountability, and the idea that “you can’t fake wanting to win.” Will Bruin Will Bruin We also explore life after soccer, the transition into finance, and the similarities between sport and business: process, preparation, emotional control, relationships and long-term thinking. For players, coaches, academy staff and performance practitioners, this episode is about mentality, culture, professional habits and what really sits behind a successful career. What you’ll take from this episode: Will Bruin’s route through American soccer and MLS How the MLS player pathway has changed Why hard work and coachability matter The importance of controlling the controllables What role acceptance looks like for senior players Lessons from Seattle Sounders’ winning culture Why top players set the standard every day How football lessons transfer into life after retirement ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ Want more? Visit the ISSPF Journal and grab your free soccer performance journal at www.ISSPF.com/journal. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Cold open 00:00:10 Intro 00:01:20 Will’s route into soccer 00:02:40 The old MLS pathway and college route 00:04:00 Playing with a chip on his shoulder 00:06:30 Modern players, academies and earning it 00:08:00 Adapting as the league improved 00:09:00 Accepting new roles as a senior player 00:11:00 Developing as a striker 00:13:00 Houston Dynamo, Seattle Sounders and Austin FC 00:14:00 US national team experience 00:15:00 Learning professionalism 00:17:30 Seattle Sounders and winning culture 00:19:00 You can’t fake wanting to win 00:23:30 People over product 00:25:30 Retirement and life after soccer 00:28:00 Finance, relationships and process 00:40:00 MLS growth and the future of academies 00:45:00 Final reflections and outro

  • September 9 · 50 min

    Trevor Sinclair: Winners Find a Way, Resilience & Team Spirit

    Want to go deeper into soccer science, coaching, and performance? Head to the ISSPF site at www.ISSPF.com, and catch the rest of the ISSPF Soccer Insights Podcasts at www.ISSPF.com/podcasts. Podcast Overview: Trevor Sinclair on Resilience, Team Spirit and Why Winners Find a Way In this episode, we sit down with Trevor Sinclair to explore the journey behind a career at the highest level of football. Trevor reflects on growing up with humble beginnings, discovering football as a calling, and the desperation and drive that helped him pursue a career in the game. He talks about his early development at Blackpool, making the step to QPR, learning from senior professionals, and eventually playing for clubs including West Ham and Manchester City. This conversation goes beyond moments, goals and headlines. Trevor speaks openly about what really shaped him as a player: consistency, discipline, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to keep turning up after setbacks. We discuss the importance of coaches who care, the impact of relationships, and why getting to know the person behind the player can be the difference between information landing or being ignored. Trevor shares powerful stories about Dave Sexton, QPR, West Ham, Jamaica, Steve McClaren, team spirit and the role of leadership in successful groups. Trevor also reflects on injury, losing his biggest physical strength, rebuilding himself as a different type of player, and using sport psychology to help find a way through one of the most difficult periods of his career. The central message is clear: winners find a way. Talent matters, but the players and coaches who keep adapting, keep learning, keep working and keep finding solutions are the ones who give themselves the best chance. For coaches, players, academy staff, psychologists and performance practitioners, this episode is about resilience, relationships, team spirit and the human side of high performance. What you’ll take from this episode: How Trevor Sinclair developed from humble beginnings into elite football Why desperation, drive and consistency matter in player development Lessons from Blackpool, QPR, West Ham, Manchester City and international football Why coaches need to know the person behind the player How team spirit shapes successful football environments Why authenticity and leadership matter for coaches How Trevor rebuilt himself after injury Why sport psychology can help players find solutions in difficult moments ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ Want more? Visit the ISSPF Journal and grab your free soccer performance journal at www.ISSPF.com/journal.

  • August 17 · 50 min

    Sarah Murray: Psychology That Works, Trust & the Human Side of Football

    Want to go deeper into soccer science, coaching, and performance? Head to the ISSPF site at www.ISSPF.com, and catch the rest of the ISSPF Soccer Insights Podcasts at www.ISSPF.com/podcasts. Podcast Overview: Sarah Murray on Psychology That Works, Trust and the Human Side of Football In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Murray, sport psychologist, to explore what psychology really looks like inside a football environment. Sarah has spent 15 years working full-time in applied sport psychology and was one of the first full-time sport psychologists in professional football in the UK. Her career has included a long period at Brighton & Hove Albion, where she helped build and embed psychology across the club, from the men’s first team and academy through to the women’s programme. This conversation goes beyond theory, workshops and one-to-one support. Sarah reflects on how psychology can become part of the everyday language, behaviours and culture of a football club. We discuss the development of Brighton’s psychology provision, the SCORES framework, the importance of shared language, and why psychology has to be embedded into the environment rather than hidden away in an office. Sarah also talks about trust, confidentiality, working with and through coaches, interdisciplinary teams, Spotlight profiling, curiosity, adaptability and the future of sport psychology in football. The central message is clear: psychology works best when it becomes normal. It lives in relationships, language, behaviours, coaching, support staff, parents and the everyday environment around the player. For coaches, psychologists, academy staff, performance practitioners and anyone interested in player development, this episode is about making psychology practical, visible and useful inside football. What you’ll take from this episode: What psychology looks like inside a football club Why trust is the currency of the practitioner How Brighton embedded psychology across the academy The importance of shared language and observable behaviours Why coaches are central to psychological development The difference between MDTs and truly interdisciplinary teams How curiosity, adaptability and human connection drive performance The future of sport psychology in football ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ Want more? Visit the ISSPF Journal and grab your free soccer performance journal at www.ISSPF.com/journal. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Cold open 00:00:20 Intro 00:01:30 Sarah’s route into sport psychology 00:04:30 Becoming one of the first full-time sport psychologists in football 00:05:30 Building psychology provision at Brighton 00:08:00 Psychology across the club and working with coaches 00:09:00 Creating shared language with the SCORES framework 00:11:00 Embedding psychology into the academy environment 00:14:30 Trust, relationships and being human-first 00:15:30 Confidentiality, boundaries and working with players 00:18:00 Why the coach relationship is central 00:21:00 From MDT to IDT: the fruit smoothie analogy 00:29:00 Adaptability as a cornerstone skill 00:31:00 Curiosity, connection and psychological safety 00:35:30 Spotlight profiling, self-awareness and the future of sport psychology 00:46:00 Final reflections and outro

  • July 5 · 56 min

    Jack Sharkey: Football First, Data Second & the Reality of Sports Science

    Want to go deeper into soccer science, coaching, and performance? Head to the ISSPF site at www.ISSPF.com, and catch the rest of the ISSPF Soccer Insights Podcasts at www.ISSPF.com/podcasts. Podcast Overview: Jack Sharkey on Football Performance, Sport Science and Why Data Isn’t Enough In this episode, we sit down with Jack Sharkey, Director of Performance, to explore the reality of working in football performance. Jack’s career has taken him through Burton Albion, QPR, Aston Villa, the Australian national team and Olympique Lyonnais. Across that journey, he has worked in lower-league football, the Championship, the Premier League, World Cup environments and Champions League football. This conversation goes beyond GPS, data and gym work. Jack reflects on coming out of university with academic knowledge, then learning quickly that football demands something different: communication, trust, reliability, simplicity and the ability to make performance work useful to coaches and players. We discuss the importance of lower-league experience, working with different managers and players, the politics of football clubs, the demands of international football, and what it takes to lead a multidisciplinary performance department. The central message is clear: data is not enough. Football now has more information than ever, from GPS and video to AI and dashboards. But unless practitioners can translate that information into football language, it risks becoming noise. For coaches, sport scientists, analysts, psychologists and performance staff, this episode is about keeping performance work connected to the game. What you’ll take from this episode: * The reality of working in football sport science * Why trust, communication and reliability matter * Lessons from Burton, QPR, Aston Villa, Australia and Lyon * Why data must be translated into football language * The danger of specialists drifting away from the game * How performance departments can support better decisions ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ Want more? Visit the ISSPF Journal and grab your free soccer performance journal at www.ISSPF.com/journal. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Cold open 00:00:20 Intro 00:01:05 Jack’s route into football performance 00:03:00 Learning the reality of sport science at Burton Albion 00:06:00 Nigel Clough, hierarchy and communication 00:09:00 Trust, reliability and being a good practitioner 00:12:00 QPR, Aston Villa and the reality of football 00:18:00 Working with different players and career pathways 00:25:00 Ryan Manning and the role of luck in football 00:28:00 Australia, international football and the World Cup 00:32:15 Lyon and becoming Director of Performance 00:36:50 French mentality, communication and elite standards 00:41:20 Specialists drifting away from football 00:45:20 Bielsa, GPS and why data isn’t enough 00:53:00 Final reflections

  • June 15 · 50 min

    Steve McClaren: Manchester United Standards & the Future of Coaching

    Want to go deeper into soccer science, coaching, and performance? Head to the ISSPF site at www.ISSPF.com, and catch the rest of the ISSPF Soccer Insights Podcasts at www.ISSPF.com/podcasts. Podcast Overview: Steve McClaren on Standards, Culture and Modern Coaching What does it really take to build standards, culture and winning behaviours inside elite football environments? In this episode, we sit down with Steve McClaren to explore the realities of coaching, leadership and performance at the highest level of the game. Steve’s career has taken him through some of football’s biggest environments, including Manchester United, England, Middlesbrough, Derby County, FC Twente, Newcastle United and Jamaica. Across that journey, he has worked with elite players, major clubs, national teams and some of the most demanding football cultures in the world. This conversation goes beyond tactics. Steve reflects on the new wave of English coaches, the rise of Liam Rosenior, lessons from working with Wayne Rooney at Derby, and what young coaches need to develop if they want to lead at the highest level. We also explore culture and standards through Steve’s experiences at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, where behaviours were driven every day by the manager and senior players such as Roy Keane. His message is clear: culture is not a slogan. Culture is behaviour. Steve also shares lessons from Middlesbrough, where he built an environment strong enough for major players such as Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gaizka Mendieta to come in and thrive, as well as insights from Jamaica on spirit, togetherness and game management. For coaches, practitioners, analysts, sport scientists, psychologists and anyone interested in elite football environments, this episode offers a rare insight into what high-level coaching really demands. What you'll take from this episode: Why modern coaching is about more than tactics How elite standards are built and protected Lessons from Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane Why culture is really about daily behaviours What young English coaches need to develop next How authenticity helps coaches build trust Lessons from Middlesbrough, Derby and Jamaica Why spirit, togetherness and game management matter ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ Want more? Visit the ISSPF Journal and grab your free soccer performance journal at www.ISSPF.com/journal. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Cold open 00:00:20 Intro 00:01:40 Welcome to Steve McClaren 00:03:35 The new wave of English coaches 00:04:15 Wayne Rooney, Liam Rosenior and Derby County 00:07:00 Liam Rosenior’s coaching philosophy 00:09:25 What makes a great modern coach 00:11:30 Jamaica, spirit and togetherness 00:14:40 Culture is behaviour 00:15:15 Manchester United standards under Sir Alex Ferguson 00:16:10 Roy Keane, non-negotiables and complacency 00:20:15 Why standards are harder to control in modern football 00:23:10 Ten Hag, Ronaldo and Rashford discipline 00:24:30 Staff responsibility and player behaviours 00:30:00 Why culture takes time to build 00:32:10 Recruitment and dressing-room leaders 00:35:15 Middlesbrough, Viduka, Hasselbaink and Mendieta 00:37:25 The Alen Bokšić story 00:43:10 Lessons from Jamaica 00:44:20 Alignment with the top 00:45:15 Spirit before Xs and Os 00:45:45 Game management 00:46:45 Final reflections 00:49:45 Closing thoughts

  • S1 · E1
    May 5 · 57 min

    Darcy Norman: Building Elite Performance at Bayern Munich, Germany & Chicago Fire

    Want to go deeper into soccer science, coaching, and performance? Head to the ISSPF site at www.ISSPF.com and catch the rest of the ISSPF Soccer Insights Podcasts at www.ISSPF.com/podcasts. What does it actually take to build a winning environment at the very top of world football? In this episode, we sit down with Darcy Norman, one of the most respected performance practitioners in the game, to explore the people, systems, and processes behind elite performance. Darcy’s journey has taken him through some of the biggest environments in world football, including FC Bayern Munich, AS Roma, the German Men’s National Team, the U.S. Men’s National Team, and now Chicago Fire FC, where he was appointed Director of Performance in December 2024. In that role, he leads medical, physical performance, nutrition, sports psychology, and performance strategy across the First Team, Chicago Fire FC II, and the Academy. This is not just a CV story. It is a deep dive into how high-performing environments are actually built. How do you align coaches, medics, sport scientists, analysts, nutritionists, psychologists, and leadership? How do you create systems that keep players available, developing, and ready to perform? And how do you use data, research, and technology without losing the human element? Darcy has lived inside winning cultures. He was part of the staff that lifted the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany, worked at Bayern during a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, and was at Roma during their 2017–18 Champions League semi-final run. His message is clear: elite performance is not one department, one method, or one piece of technology. It is a connected system. Across the conversation, Darcy shares lessons on performance leadership, player availability, multidisciplinary working, data, physical development, culture, communication, and the importance of clear mission, vision, and values. For coaches, sport scientists, analysts, fitness coaches, rehab specialists, psychologists, and performance leaders, this episode offers a rare look inside some of the biggest environments in world football. What you’ll take from this episode: How world-class performance cultures are built Why people, process, and clarity matter How to connect medical, physical, tactical, psychological, and analytical support Lessons from Bayern, Roma, Germany, the USMNT, and MLS How data can support performance without taking over Why elite environments depend on trust, alignment, and daily habits Want more? Visit the ISSPF Journal and grab your free soccer performance journal at www.ISSPF.com/journal. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:30 Meet Darcy Norman 01:45 From alpine skiing to performance 04:11 Why mindset is the foundation 08:12 Arriving at Bayern Munich 10:49 Working under Louis van Gaal 17:27 Building a system at Roma 20:50 Germany vs Italy: two cultures 22:49 Supply chain managing human performance 26:04 Process over outcome 29:42 Why 2014 worked and 2018 didn’t 32:27 What a Director of Performance does 36:18 What a good day looks like 38:51 The World Cup and a humbling reality check 42:08 The future: data and principles 45:48 Power, efficiency, and a player’s pushback 51:31 Losing the forest for the trees 54:01 Wrap-up

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