An interview with Manchester United Academy coach Tom Statham
GoPlay Sports caught up with Manchester United Academy coach Tom Statham to find out his philosophy working in football’s foundation phase in the U.K.
Tom was a former professional footballer, playing for Middlesbrough, Doncaster and Lincoln, but it was coaching where he discovered his real passion.
Tom has been coaching at Manchester United since 1994 and he has coached boys from 7-18 years old, although now he works exclusively with the foundation phase, aged 8-11 years old.
Working with and learning from great coaches such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Kidd, Eric Harrison, Paul McGuiness and René Meulensteen, Tom has a wealth of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm.
Tom, who achieved a degree in PE and Sports Science at Loughborough University, has seen the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood and Scott McTominay progress through the Academy to become top professional players.
The English Football Association recognized Tom's work with young players and in 2015 he was awarded Foundation Phase Academy Coach of the Year.
So how did your football career start?
“I went to Loughborough University where I played for the university team and studied physical education and after university it was my intention to go into coaching, but because I did so well playing I ended up getting a professional contract.
“So I played professionally after university and once I had finished my professional career, and it was short and sweet, I went into coaching.”
The university route is not a common way to get into the professional game, how did you find it?
“I found it really tough. As a kid I was at Notts County and I played up to the U18s and then went to university and I really didn’t think I would be a pro. But we played at a high level and played lots of pro teams, but when I went to play professionally it was a lot different. There you are playing with your mates and I was 22 or 23, but then I was playing with kids that were 18, 19, 20.
“I played in the reserve team at Middlesbrough and was playing with senior pros in their late 20s and early 30s who were not playing in the first team, but thought they should have been.
“Then there were the young kids that were the first and second year professionals, who were 18,19, 20 and me that was 23 and so socially it was difficult.
“I got a two-year contract but at the end of that I was quite happy to move on. I had fulfilled an ambition of being a professional, ticked the box. I got offers lower down the leagues and I played semi-pro in non-league, but after a while I was keen to pack it in and go into coaching.
“Shortly after that I got an opportunity to go to Manchester United. I got a teaching job in Manchester and in January 1994 I got an offer from United through some contacts I had there and I have been there ever since.”
What are the qualities you look for in young players?
“Technical ability - and we have a lot of high-level players.
“A big factor is their attitude and their approach. I have been here a long time and I have worked with a lot players who are now in the first team.
“It’s fantastic, the enthusiasm they have got is great and it is just pure football. They are not self conscious, there is no thinking about their image, they just enjoy their football.
“And that is definitely focus. My main concern is to nurture a love of the game in those kids. They will arrive with a love of game and if in any way I damage that love of the game then I will have failed in my role.”
How do you nurture the love of the game?
“Two main ways of doing that is firstly my behavior, and I accept what I am because to them I am a guy they just have a great time with. A lot of coaches take themselves too seriously and they think it is all about them and actually their role is just to make sure the kids have a fantastic time.
“So my attitude is very relaxed and everything I do is for the benefit of the kids - for their learning and enjoyment and if you have that attitude and are silly and make jokes about yourself and treat them like the small kids they are and do things like singing silly little songs, then you hope they are enjoying it.
“It they see a furrowed brow and arms crossed then it can be detrimental, whereas if they see you smiling, laughing then it helps them express themselves.
“The second is the content of what you do. And all my sessions are game-related because that’s what they want to do, to play games.
“People think you get better at soccer by listening to the coach or by doing some complicated drill, whereas actually you get better at soccer, by playing soccer. Coaches need to understand that - put everything into a game situation.
“The session I did at the United Soccer Coaches convention (Chicago 2019) was called ‘Learning Technique through Games’ and I think that all your technique should be in games.
“If you play a 5-aside game it has all the components in there, tackling, dribbling, defending and shooting, so just set up a game and let them go."
How do things change on a matchday?
“Things shouldn’t change on a matchday. It’s a really relaxed environment and make sure you give ownership to the kids.
“You might say ‘who wants to be captain’ and off you go. I might rotate the kids so they play different positions and make sure they all play the same amount of time. But give the kids ownership and let them pick positions.
“Then at half-time I will ask them how it went and they may say ‘we need to pass the ball quicker or we need to shoot more’ and you want the answers to come from the kids.
“If you have created that environment then the kids will come up with the answers because they are used to it and they are not afraid to say what they think and they are the ones playing.”
Why do you rotate your players into different positions?
“I want the kids to experience different positions because you learn different things by playing different positions. Maybe you might look at a kid and think he is going to be a striker, but playing him in defence will teach him what defenders are doing.
“But I do sometimes give kids positions if maybe there are strong there and maybe one of the weaker in the group. If you have a kid who is a good defender but his confidence is low then you would put him as a defender to give him success.
“Then the stronger ones, or the more robust players can go and play different roles, but you have to treat them as individuals.
“Then because not many kids want to play at the back I might say of you play in defence you can play the whole game to give them an incentive to do that.”