From First Touch to First Team

Jan Schmidt
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From First Touch to First Team is a podcast for anyone who loves the game of football and dreams of playing it at the highest level. Each episode, we sit down with current or former professional footballers to hear the real story behind their journey, from their earliest memories of the game to the moment they made it. The highs, the setbacks, the sacrifices, and the lessons that shaped them as players and people. Whether you are a young player working toward your goals, a parent supporting your child's development, or a coach shaping the next generation, this podcast gives you an honest, unfiltered look at what the professional pathway really looks like.

Episodes

  1. EP 03:Joshua Laws - Wellington Phoenix, Grasshoppers Zürich, and an Under 17 World Cup

    11h ago

    EP 03:Joshua Laws - Wellington Phoenix, Grasshoppers Zürich, and an Under 17 World Cup

    From kicking a ball around the back garden in Sydney to playing for Wellington Phoenix, Grasshoppers Zürich, and Western Sydney Wanderers, Joshua Laws's story is one of constant change and quiet resilience. In this episode, Josh sits down with Jan to trace a path that took him through six different countries. He talks about growing up as a hyperactive kid sent on Bondi Beach runs by his dad, the long drives to Blackburn Rovers with his mum, and the first real "no" when the club decided not to renew him at 14. We move through eight years in Germany, the Turkish coach at Fortuna Düsseldorf who convinced him to sign, and his under-17 World Cup in Chile where Australia beat Argentina to make the quarter-finals. Josh is honest about the harder parts of the journey too. Two years lost to ankle injuries at the exact moment he was knocking on the door of the first team. Negotiating his first professional contract on his own from a COVID quarantine hotel. The reality of warming up on a cricket oval at Wollongong University. And the gamble he took at the end of his Wellington years, flying back to Europe with two suitcases and sleeping on a friend's sofa until the unexpected call came from Grasshoppers Zürich. Having now finished his playing career at 28, Josh shares what he wishes he had known earlier and the one piece of advice he would pass on to every young player still on the path. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this episode is full of perspective on what the journey actually looks like. IN THIS EPISODE: ▸ Growing up in Sydney and being trained by his dad on Bondi Beach ▸ Trialing at Manchester United, Everton, and signing for Blackburn Rovers ▸ Being released at 14 and processing the first real rejection ▸ Eight years in Germany, the language barrier, and the intensity of German youth football ▸ Switching from Scotland to Australia and the U17 World Cup in Chile ▸ The ankle injuries that cost him two years at Fortuna Düsseldorf ▸ Negotiating his first professional contract from a COVID quarantine hotel ▸ What pro football actually looked like in Wollongong during the pandemic ▸ Sleeping on a sofa in Europe and the call out of the blue from Grasshoppers Zürich ▸ The advice he would give to every player still chasing the dream CHAPTERS 00:00 Joshi's First Touch 05:34 Dreams of Professional Football 10:17 Trials with Teams in the UK 15:16 Finding the Right Environment in Football 16:43 Moving to Germany 20:01 The Intensity of German Football 26:25 Changing from Scotland to Australia 28:02 U17 World Cup with Australia 33:01 Injury Setbacks During a Crucial Time 35:48 New Opportunities in Australia 40:02 Starting with Wellington Phoenix 43:23 Going Back to Europe for Trials 44:04 The Offer from Grasshopper Zürich 46:59 Stoppage Time Questions Subscribe so you never miss an episode. If a question comes up while listening, leave a comment or send us a text on Instagram. @firsttouchtofirstteam And remember: enjoy your football journey. GUEST Joshua Laws, former professional footballer with Wellington Phoenix, Grasshoppers Zürich, and Western Sydney Wanderers. Born in Glasgow, raised in Sydney, developed through academies at Blackburn Rovers and Fortuna Düsseldorf, and represented Australia at the U17 World Cup in Chile.

    49 min
  2. EP 02: Nicolai Müller - From 200 Bundesliga appearances to coaching in Australia

    May 31

    EP 02: Nicolai Müller - From 200 Bundesliga appearances to coaching in Australia

    From kicking a ball against the wall next to his family home to playing 200 games in the Bundesliga and earning a call-up to the German national team, Nicolai Müller's journey is a masterclass in resilience. In this episode, Nico sits down with Jan to trace his path from First touch to First team. He opens up about being released by Eintracht Frankfurt as a youth player for being "too small," the early-morning phone call from a head coach while working at Audi that launched his professional debut, and the one cup-game moment that changed everything. We talk through the long, patient years in reserve-grade football, his breakthrough season under Thomas Tuchel at Mainz, and what it really takes to go from signing a first professional contract to becoming undroppable. Now head coach of the Macarthur Bulls Academy, Nico shares his perspective from both sides of the white line: how he develops young Australian talent, the differences he sees between German and Australian football culture, and why he believes the pathway to a professional career in Australia is more open than many people realise. His message to every aspiring player is simple but hard-won: Enjoy the game, work as hard as possible, and never give up. In this episode: Growing up in Germany and the family sacrifices behind the four-day-a-week commute to Frankfurt's academyBeing released as a youth player and why it turned out to be the best thing that could have happenedThe reality behind a first professional contract and the patience it demandsHis breakthrough under Thomas Tuchel and his call-up to the German national teamThe move to the A-League and adapting to Australian footballTransitioning from professional player to academy coachHonest reflections on developing young Australian players and the gaps still to close Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this conversation is full of practical insight and genuine inspiration. 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. If a question comes up while listening, reach out to us through our channels. @firsttouchtofirstteam And remember: enjoy your football journey.

    51 min
  3. EP 01: Will Kennedy - Signing a Pro Contract at his Boyhood Club

    May 24

    EP 01: Will Kennedy - Signing a Pro Contract at his Boyhood Club

    From U13 to the A-League. Will Kennedy on what it actually takes to come through Sydney FC's academy and into the senior game at Central Coast Mariners. In episode 01 of From First Touch to First Team, host Jan sits down with Will to walk through the full journey: the early influence that pulled him into the game, the youth development years that demanded everything, the transition into senior football, and the unpredictability that defines almost every professional career. Will shares the lessons he kept, the ones he learned the hard way, and his advice for the next generation of players trying to make it. A podcast for youth players, parents, coaches, and anyone who has ever wanted to know what the road to professional football really looks like. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

    50 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

From First Touch to First Team is a podcast for anyone who loves the game of football and dreams of playing it at the highest level. Each episode, we sit down with current or former professional footballers to hear the real story behind their journey, from their earliest memories of the game to the moment they made it. The highs, the setbacks, the sacrifices, and the lessons that shaped them as players and people. Whether you are a young player working toward your goals, a parent supporting your child's development, or a coach shaping the next generation, this podcast gives you an honest, unfiltered look at what the professional pathway really looks like.

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