Coach from the couch

If you fancy yourself as the next Pep Guardiola but don’t have the time nor money to study for your coaching badges, we’ve got good news – you can train up a future star from your lounge.

Tom Byer, world-renowned coach and head technical advisor to the Chinese FA, is the author of Football Starts at Home, with his philosophy educating parents about how they can coach their children as soon as they learn how to walk.

“I believe you can start to nurture children’s football skills when they are one or two,” Byer explained at the Soccerex Football Convention. “Kids should not learn to kick the ball first, they should learn how to roll and manipulate it.”

Byer’s methods are the result of a 25-year coaching career and he feels that kids must master all of the basics before they join a club.

“Place a small ball in your living room and encourage your child to roll both feet over the ball and then change direction, left and right,” he added. “These skills will accelerate their development. Parents are more important than coaches.”

But remember – if your little one breaks the TV, you’ll get the blame.