024 Mental Toughness in Professional Football

Julian Dowe is a former professional footballer whose knee injury prematurely ended a stuttering career after nine years in the game. During this time he played at various levels in England, Spain, Scotland, Sweden & Latvia. Retirement allowed Julian to observe of grassroots and elite level football and it’s needs. This led Julian to develop football4football. An industry-leading free online football resource which details practices, principles & methods that drive the game's best players. In this episode, David and Julian reflect on the many challenges Julian faced in his journey into professional football, as well as during his career in the game. It is clear from our conversation that Julian has some regrets about his behaviour. Consequently, he shares advice to young footballers about how to handle different situations. Key Takeaways • Having self-belief and talent, isn’t enough to prosper in professional football • Surround yourself with people who care about your best interests. • Be honest with yourself, commit yourself to the sport. • Work on your confidence, with self-belief you can go a long way. Connect with Julian Dowe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliandowe/ https://football4football.com About the Host – David Charlton David helps ambitious athletes, teams and executives achieve their goals faster by improving their Mental Toughness. He is a HCPC Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Executive Coach who supports many professional athletes, some of whom play at the highest level in their chosen sports, as well as senior executives in the business world. To join The Confident Athlete 3 Day Challenge starting on 02 November designed to help you perform better under pressure on a consistent basis, sign up NOW using the link below. https://www.sport-excellence.co.uk/challenge/