Navigating Player Development in Football Academies

Gary is joined by Adi Viveash, who recently joined Middlesbrough first team coaching staff and also spent eight years at Chelsea as assistant Academy and assistant reserve team coach before being named Under-18 manager in July 2011. He was promoted to development squad manager in 2014, which saw him lead Chelsea’s Under-21s. During his time at Chelsea, among the players Adi had a key hand in developing were Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount and Reece James. His departure from the Blues was confirmed in May 2017 but two months later he was back in work having been named assistant manager at Coventry City. In this interview, Adi gives a unique perspective on life at Chelsea, how the game has changed in the last 10 years, the variables that coaches must take into consideration, how coaches manage elite level players who are on the verge of the first team, plus the difference between first team coaching and development. An extra special thanks to SportsLab360 for teaming up with us on this episode. Since 2016 they've been helping thousands of coaches empower their players to improve their Soccer IQ and decision-making on the pitch. It's one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get more out of your team. We have a special offer for MSC listeners at the halfway point of the interview! Click below to check them out: https://sportslab360.com/