Q&A with Coach David, WMF Bexley Franchise Owner

Accountant, parent and football fanatic Coach David has decided to get into football with We Make Footballers, by launching his own football coaching franchise! He launched in May 2019, with a fantastic Talent ID event with over 80 players in attendance playing in front of top Academy scouts. Franchise Owner David is now running weekly training in the Bexley area and helping players become the best they can be! We caught up with David, to find out more about the West Ham fan and his football ambitions for the local area

Q: When did you get into football?

David: I've been playing football for as long as I can remember, from 2 or 3 years old and watching the game too. I learned the fundamentals at home, playing football with my brothers and joined the school team at the age of 6 or 7. Eventually went on to captain the school football team and decided to join a Grassroots club at about 8 or 9 years old. Back then there were no soccer schools, there were no clear pathways for players, but, I was lucky enough to represent the Greenwich district. In my early teens (13 years old) I got scouted by Charlton, went for trails, but unfortunately it didn't work out. I think it was about that time I was kind of fallen out of love with football, which is really sad looking back and I do regret that. I had a very loving support network around me but it was never a football network, so I kind of felt like I didn't really have much direction then. I stopped playing football probably for about 5 years and went back to it at 19/20. In my later years I got to play in the Kent County Premier League for a team called Old Roan, which is as far as you can go in amateur football before semi-professional. I also represented Kent. My football journey as a player has been an interesting one and definitely something that I hope to share the lessons learnt with players in the future.

Q: So you’ve played a lot, how did you get into coaching?

David: The reason I got into coaching was firstly as a result of my youngest son: Alex. He loved football, I felt that I had more to offer and the chance to help him enjoy the game. At this point, I started coaching my son’s U5’s team at Parkwood FC, a local football club. When I first started, I noticed the really positive effect football has on children and I'm really just enjoying every minute at the moment.

Q: What would you like to achieve in coaching?

David: I'd like to try to create a self belief system in the young boys and girls I hope to be coaching for many many years. I want them to be really confident and be able to express themselves on the football pitch as creative and confident players. Bringing out that self belief from a young age is fundamental to a player’s development. Helping players become the best they can is key, but when coaching you are also developing people and imparting important life lessons such as teamwork, respect and social awareness. This ultimately shows the positive impact football can have on society and in local communities.

Q: Why did you choose We Make Footballers?

David: I remember asking a question to my wife, Carla, “can I do coaching more permanently as a job?”. I started researching my different options and We Make Footballers really stood out so I looked into the franchising option. For me it seemed like the most suitable route to go down, simply because it just looked like a very professional setup, that there's a big pool of knowledge available and the type of organisation that is constantly trying to adapt and improve its' methods. When I compare We Make Footballers to a lot of other coaching academies, most coaching academies are stand-alone so have a limited pool of resources. Going down the independent route of starting your own academy seemed difficult for me personally without having the relevant contacts and knowledge and qualifications within the game at the moment. WMF seemed to fit perfectly really and it has been a step forward in my coaching journey.

Q: Who are some of your favourite footballers?   

David: There are so many players that I have admired over the years. We're blessed at the moment to see two of the best players to have ever played the game with Messi and Ronaldo. But they're not alone, we've got players like Eden Hazard and some like Raheem Sterling I've got so much respect for, having the kind of upbringing he's reported to have had, just when you think he's made it as a successful sportsman, he still can't get the respect from certain areas of our society and I just find that just utterly abysmal and something that we need to all work on because he's a true professional. Sterling is dedicated, works hard, he's got the right attitude, he's a wonderfully gifted footballer and he's also the future of the England football team. He really is someone we should be getting behind, and I think most people do.  The Ex player should I say, is Sir Trevor Brooking, he played for my team, West Ham. He only played for West Ham. He's the ultimate role model for me, both when he was a player and since retiring. His work within grassroots football when he was chairman of Sport England and beyond then is just second to none. He works really hard to promote the game within our country.

Coach David is running weekly football coaching session in Bexleyheath, for players of all abilities ages 4-12. These sessions focus on individual player development and mastering the football fundamentals, book a free session to see if your child enjoys it!