Modern Soccer Coach Podcast

Gary Curneen

Player Development

Youth Development

Coaching

Football

Coaching Philosophy

Football Coaching

Coaching Methodology

Youth Coaching

Positional Play

Youth Soccer

Coaching Education

Coach Development

Mental Health

MLS

Pep Guardiola

Philadelphia Union

Premier League

Soccer Coaching

Fluminense Academy

Football Tactics

Our goal is to bring in-depth content to coaches with a combination of interviews, chats, and personal thoughts on the topics that really matter in the beautiful game and elite-level sport. Enjoy and thanks for listening! - Gary

529 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	395	Founded	9 years ago
Number of Listeners		Category	Sports

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Latest Episodes

Inside Wrexham's Coaching Culture with Pav Singh

Register FREE for MSC Global Youth Conference on January 2nd: www.modernsoccercoach.com/product-page/msc-youth-development-conference-jan-2nd In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Pav Singh, Head of Coach Devel... more

5 Nov 2026 • 51 min

Rethinking Youth Training: Creativity, Freedom & Session Design | James Wilson (Al-Qadsiah)

Register for FREE MSC Global Youth Conference now: www.modernsoccercoach.com/post/msc-global-youth-development-conference-13-international-speakers-confirmed-for-january-2-2027 In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joine... more

29 Oct 2026 • 45 min

YouTube

Coaching the Fine Details of Central Midfield | Matt Walsh (Burnley Academy)

Register for MSC Online Global Youth Conference for FREE here: www.modernsoccercoach.com/post/msc-global-youth-development-conference-13-international-speakers-confirmed-for-january-2-2027 In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, G... more

21 Oct 2026 • 37 min • Most popular

YouTube

Are We Getting Youth Physical Development Wrong? | Joel Hansson

Gary is joined by Joel Hansson, Head of Physical Development for U8-U14 at Hammarby in Sweden, to rethink how we approach physical development with young players. Joel challenges the idea that youth players should simply follow scaled-down versions o... more

7 Oct 2026 • 1 hr 6 min

YouTube

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Recent Guests

James Wilson

Academy coach at Al-Qadsiah with coaching experience in England, Spain, and Saudi Arabia

Al-Qadsiah

Episode: Rethinking Youth Training: Creativity, Freedom & Session Design | James Wilson (Al-Qadsiah)

Matt Walsh

Coach focused on technical development of midfield players at Burnley FC Academy.

Burnley FC Academy

Episode: Coaching the Fine Details of Central Midfield | Matt Walsh (Burnley Academy)

Joel Hansson

Head of Physical Development at Swedish club Hammarby (ages 8-14)

Hammarby IF

Episode: Are We Getting Youth Physical Development Wrong? | Joel Hansson

Ron Acker

Head Coach, Yulee High School, Florida

Yulee High School, Florida

Episode: The Reality of Coaching High School Soccer | 4 Coaches, Real Solutions

Jay Chiletti

Head Coach, John Adams Middle School Lady Falcons

John Adams Middle School Lady Falcons

Episode: The Reality of Coaching High School Soccer | 4 Coaches, Real Solutions

Tiffany Smith

JV/Varsity Coach, East... (coaching context inferred from transcript)

High School/JV and Varsity context referenced

Episode: The Reality of Coaching High School Soccer | 4 Coaches, Real Solutions

Luis Perkovich

Coach, Glendale High School

Glendale High School

Episode: The Reality of Coaching High School Soccer | 4 Coaches, Real Solutions

Tony Colbert

Former Arsenal first team coach; FIFA technical expert

Arsène Wenger era Arsenal; FIFA talent development

Episode: Why Technical Development Still Matters | Tony Colbert

Brian Ashton

England Rugby coach; led Bath and England Rugby; dominant figure in player development and coaching philosophy

Bath Rugby; England Rugby

Episode: Brian Ashton: How Great Coaches Develop Thinking Players

Host

Gary

Host of Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, guiding the interview and exploring coaching education and practice.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 529 ratings

Valuable Education Source for Coaches
A podcast many coaches could benefit from! Very interesting selection of highly educated podcast guests, not just shiny names. Keep up the great work, Gary. Best regards from Berlin.
Apple Podcasts
5
Relevant Podcast
Germany9 months ago
Best Coaching Interviews!
My favorite thing to listen to each week. Gary does such a great job preparing questions and making the interview engaging. All killer no filler
Apple Podcasts
5
DrewReviewed
United Statesa year ago
Incredible content but the audio is so bad I can't listen to it. The volumes of the host and the guests are drastically different combined with the accents it's just a hard listen on top of the audio quality being generally poor from the guest.
Podcast Addict
3
cdubya
a year ago
Helpful for Coaches Just Getting Started
Really smart stuff in this podcast. Helps me identify things in my own game. Love the guests that come on and topics are modern and fresh!
Apple Podcasts
5
Mikey Busa
United States2 years ago
Fantastic insights
So many lessons to learn from with any guest that is on the show, I’ve genuinely learned at least one thing from each episode I’ve listened to.
Lots of lessons and insights that I’ve used with my own players since listening to the podcast, I would recommend it to any coach that’s looking to further their development no matter what step on the ladder you are.
Apple Podcasts
5
Karl Corcoran
Ireland2 years ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great for coaches at all levels seeking modern coaching perspectives.

Listeners value the breadth of topics from game models to academy development.

Coaches praise the depth of guests and practical takeaways.

Gary conducts engaging, well-prepared interviews with actionable insights.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts

#232

Russia/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Rethinking Youth Training: Creativity, Freedom & Session Design | James Wilson (Al-Qadsiah)

Q: When you're trying to give players a little bit more ownership and responsibility on their development, do you build that into any of the training?

Wilson encourages players to speak and reflect more, uses questions instead of directing them, and has them design a task each week. He hopes this develops independent decision-making and the ability to self-organize on the pitch.

Rethinking Youth Training: Creativity, Freedom & Session Design | James Wilson (Al-Qadsiah)

Q: When you're there, with the planning process, is it through a game model that's dictating? Is it through a curriculum dictating? Or should flexibility of week to week change? Or how on earth should a coach navigate around this?

Wilson says the approach depends on the club. At Al-Qadsiah, coaches work within guidelines for playing style and identity but have freedom to design sessions. His own weekly plan covers different areas of the pitch and uses varied practices that retain game context.

Coaching the Fine Details of Central Midfield | Matt Walsh (Burnley Academy)

Q: Are we sometimes measuring the wrong things when we're evaluating young players and trying to bring objectivity into it?

Walsh says pass-completion statistics lack context because they do not capture the value or difficulty of an attempted pass. He encourages coaches to support calculated risks and forward-thinking play rather than rewarding safe passes alone.

Coaching the Fine Details of Central Midfield | Matt Walsh (Burnley Academy)

Q: When you're watching elite central midfielders today, is there anything specific that catches your eye in terms of technical actions, decision making, or the way these types of players solve problems?

Walsh looks at technical actions as well as the preparation before receiving, including scanning, body shape, timing, and awareness of space and teammates. He values players' ability to adapt and find solutions as pressure and circumstances change.

Stop separating technique from decision-making with Bas Van Baar (FC Twente Academy)

Q: How do you balance in-possession and out-of-possession principles as players develop through ages?

Principles are taught from the player's perspective (with the ball vs away from the ball) and progressively become more team-oriented; early ages focus on individual principles, then shift to team-based, with constant reinforcement of core goals and the ability to solve game situations rather than rely on fixed patterns.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Modern Soccer Coach Podcast

What is Modern Soccer Coach Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A coach-focused interview show that pulls from a wide network of experienced practitioners to unpack game models, youth development, and practical coaching methods. Episodes frequently explore how coaching philosophy, staff culture, and data-informed practice shape player development, with standout topics including game-model frameworks, academy design, session planning, and culture in foreign club environments. Notable strengths include access to a diverse set of elite-to-grassroots coaches, a practitioner-led approach, and a willingness to discuss real-world constraints like travel, language, and burnout. The format often blends tactical analysis with leadership and education insights, making it a valuable resource for coaches seeking act... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Modern Soccer Coach Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Modern Soccer Coach Podcast:

1. I Hate Soccer with Jason Collinsworth
2. Youth Soccer Coaching Player Development Podcast
3. The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast
4. Way of Champions Podcast
5. The Soccer Coaching Podcast

How many episodes of Modern Soccer Coach Podcast are there?

Modern Soccer Coach Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 395 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Modern Soccer Coach Podcast?

Recent guests on Modern Soccer Coach Podcast include:

1. James Wilson
2. Matt Walsh
3. Joel Hansson
4. Ron Acker
5. Jay Chiletti
6. Tiffany Smith
7. Luis Perkovich
8. Tony Colbert

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