From First Touch to First Team

Jan Schmidt

What does the pathway to professional football really look like? Honest stories for young players, parents and coaches. Every week, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional footballers, coaches, and people who have built their working lives around the game, and unpacks the journey behind it. The first touch. The rejections. The sacrifices nobody posts about. The moment it turned professional, and everything that came after. From First Touch to First Team is made in Sydney and built for the Australian football landscape, but the guests come from everywhere: the A-League and A-League Women, the NPL, German football, the English Championship, the NWSL, European futsal, and professional leagues across Asia and the Middle East. Some of them made it. Some of them did not, and built a full-time career in football anyway. Both stories matter, and both are here. Past guests include Will Kennedy, Marcus Younis, Kiara De Domizio, Alexander Fuchs, Daniel Georgievski, Erin Nayler, Zac Sapsford, Nicholas Olsen, Lloyd Owusu, Claudio Fabiano, Kealey Adamson, Sammy Iredale, Daniel Solsky, Brody Sams and Daniel Cappellaro. Recurring themes: being cut or released as a young player, late development, the sacrifices families make, moving overseas as a teenager, choosing between an A-League academy and an NPL club, injury and coming back from it, identity and mental health in football, the gap between team training and individual development, and the many full-time careers in football that do not involve playing at all. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is the honest education and perspective that is hard to find anywhere else. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. New episodes every Monday. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ Web: https://firsttouchtofirstteam.com

  1. 6d ago

    EP 19: Daniel Cappellaro - Skill Acquisition & why Australian Football needs more Technique (Part 2)

    Melbourne City academy coach Daniel Cappellaro on skill acquisition, the weak foot, and why Australian football needs more technique. In Part 2, Daniel moves from his playing career to coaching. He explains why technical skill and skill acquisition are two completely different things, why so few Australian players spend time alone with the ball, and what he sees when Melbourne City scouts 2014 and 2015 born players. We compare Australia with Japan and with Bundesliga U17 players, and look at the Australians making their way in Europe now, from Lucas Herrington and Nestory Irankunda to Alessandro Circati and Jordan Bos. Daniel explains why 15-year-old A-League academy players are relearning their weak foot, how the NPL ladder rewards early developers, and why a young Thierry Henry was told at Clairefontaine to stop using his speed. He also lays out how he would build a complete player from 8 to 18, what Melbourne City's academy looks for, and why so many families keep switching clubs. Plus Tim Cahill, Falcão, and what Harry Kewell told him about coming back from injury. From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this episode is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what a life in football can look like beyond the pro contract. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: "Technical skill and skill acquisition are completely different things" 00:31 Part 2: coaching, skill acquisition and what Melbourne City looks for 02:02 Why Australia needs more technique: Harry Kewell, Herrington, Irankunda, Circati and Bos 04:33 Lessons from Japan, and why A-League academy players lack the foundations of a Bundesliga U17 08:19 Why so few Australian players train alone with a ball, and what you can do with a wall 11:14 What Melbourne City sees when scouting 2014 and 2015 born players 13:32 Is social media skills training useless? JJ Gabriel, Rayan Cherki and Kevin De Bruyne 17:48 One-to-one coaching too early and the bad habits it builds 19:09 Why A-League academy players relearn their weak foot, and how the NPL ladder plays a part 22:59 An ideal world: grouping players by maturation age, not birth year 24:54 Advice for late and early developers, and Thierry Henry's "stop using your speed" 28:20 Building a complete player from 8 to 18: Daniel's age-by-age plan 31:02 Why players keep switching clubs, and the environment that made them good 33:53 What Melbourne City's academy looks for: 2v1 moments and when to take more touches 37:05 Stoppage Time Questions: Tunisia, Tim Cahill, Falcão and the UEFA Futsal Cup 42:01 Final advice: love the ball, and what Harry Kewell told him about injuries Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ Follow the show, leave a rating, and share this with one player or parent on the journey. Enjoy your football journey!

    EP 19: Daniel Cappellaro - Skill Acquisition & why Australian Football needs more Technique (Part 2)
  2. Sep 27

    EP 19: Daniel Cappellaro - From Perth to the Futsal Champions League and FIFA Street (Part 1)

    Daniel Cappellaro, known as D10, on his journey from Perth to FIFA Street, professional futsal in Spain and England, and the UEFA Futsal Cup. Daniel did not touch a football until he was eight, on a family trip to Italy where his cousin played in Serie C. Back in Perth, he chose Armadale Soccer Club purely because they trained twice a week instead of once. What followed was West Ham's Hammers Academy in Western Australia, a scholarship at John Curtin Soccer Excellence, and a pathway that barely existed. No A-League academies. State teams that appeared and disappeared. His references were Stan Lazaridis and Harry Kewell, recorded off The World Game onto VHS. Then futsal found him at eleven, through a low bounce ball a coach had picked up from a guy in Leeds. It took him to Argentina, Spain, England, a Champions League campaign with a Scottish club, and eventually Melbourne, where he now coaches in the Melbourne City academy. Along the way he became one of sixteen unlockable characters in FIFA Street, played against Falcão and alongside Douglas Costa, and met Neymar in Brazil. Part 1 is his journey as a player. Part 2 covers coaching: skill acquisition, the weak foot, and what Melbourne City's academy looks for. From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players, parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this episode is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what a life in football can look like beyond the pro contract. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: "I was a professional futsal player and I travelled the world" 03:23 Who is Daniel Cappellaro: Melbourne City U14s coach and former pro futsal player 04:51 First touch at eight: discovering football on a family trip to Italy 07:31 West Ham's Hammers Academy and John Curtin Soccer Excellence 09:22 A critical father and the "what's next" mentality 10:21 The Perth pathway in the 1990s and Frank Arok's Future Glory 12:17 No clear path but real references: Stan Lazaridis and Harry Kewell 14:46 The Perth pathway today: NPL, Football West and two A-League academies 19:42 Why young players should still study Denilson, Rivaldo and Romario 22:23 A late developer obsessed with out-teching the next team 24:54 How he learned: watch it on VHS, then find street football 27:49 Futsal and NPL side by side, and four months in Argentina 29:44 FIFA Street, Spain, England, the UEFA Futsal Cup and Melbourne City 33:51 Champions League nights, video games, homesickness and money 35:06 Leaving Perth Glory for Spain with no European passport 41:34 Where social media fits into the story 46:12 The 2016 tutorial that hit 80,000 views and deals with Nike and Adidas 49:40 Consistency, timing and blind faith 51:09 Part 2 preview: coaching technical skills Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ Follow the show, leave a rating, and share this with one player or parent on the journey. Enjoy your football journey!

    EP 19: Daniel Cappellaro - From Perth to the Futsal Champions League and FIFA Street 
(Part 1)
  3. Sep 22

    EP 18: Player Development - What 10 Pro Footballers want every Young Player to know

    From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this development special, recorded back home in Frankfurt, Jan looks back at the first ten episodes of the podcast. Ten professional footballers who played in Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Croatia, Kuwait and Scotland. Every journey was different, yet the same lessons kept coming up. Lesson one is rejection. Jan explains why an academy spot at 12 is not the finish line, why so many professionals were late developers, and why the short window of a playing career is the strongest reason to keep going through the setback years. You will hear from Will Kennedy, Nicolai Müller, Marcus Younis and Alexander Fuchs, plus Jan celebrates Socceroos call-ups for former guests Marcus Younis and Kealey Adamson, and shares that Alexander Fuchs is joining the Eleade coaching team in Sydney. Lesson two is sacrifice. The version social media never shows, from Daniel Georgievski getting by on chewing gum and pancakes five years into his professional career, to finding the right balance as a teenager, to the loneliness that can come once you finally make it overseas. Lesson three is watching football properly. What young players in Germany absorb by watching live football every week, why watching the game is a reading skill, how to make it work from Australia, and how parents can watch and give feedback without adding pressure. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this episode brings together the most important lessons from our first ten guests in one place. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on Instagram or at www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: looking back on the first 10 episodes from Frankfurt 01:50 Lesson one: rejection is usually the beginning, not the end 03:13 Why an academy spot at 12 is not the finish line 04:11 Late developers and when your body makes the decision 06:00 Socceroos call-ups for Marcus Younis and Kealey Adamson 07:22 The short window: why you keep going through the setback years 08:27 Lesson two: the sacrifice nobody posts about 09:19 Sacrifice as a teenager and finding the right balance 10:37 The sacrifice that starts once you make it 11:48 Building a life outside football and using the setback years 12:43 Why loving the game comes before the sacrifice 14:24 Lesson three: what Germany teaches us about watching football 16:08 Watching football is a reading skill 17:15 Watching from Australia and rewatching your own games 18:46 How parents can watch and give feedback without adding pressure 19:30 Three lessons from ten episodes 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Enjoy your football journey!

    EP 18: Player Development - What 10 Pro Footballers want every Young Player to know
  4. Sep 13

    EP 17: Brody Sams - From Brisbane to the NWSL: A Goalkeeper Coach who never Played Pro

    From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan calls the US to sit down with Brody Sams, an Australian goalkeeper coach who never played at a professional level, but has spent over a decade coaching goalkeepers at the highest level in Australia and the US. From starting at the Brisbane Roar to signing with NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL, Brody proves that a full-time career in football does not have to go through a pro playing pathway. Brody talks openly about the imposter syndrome that comes from never playing at the top level, and the advice from an Ajax mentor (who grew up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic) that shaped his entire coaching philosophy: outwork everyone. We cover his years at the Brisbane Roar Women's, the random WhatsApp text from Gotham FC that changed everything seven years after his resume was passed on, and what it takes to walk into what was then called the "laughing stock of the NWSL" and turn it around. Brody is honest about the real differences between the A-League Women and the NWSL, why he thinks Australian football needs to be more open, and what the US does exceptionally well when it comes to marketing, community, and creating access. He closes with his best advice for every young goalkeeper: journal, reflect, watch the game like a student, and don't underestimate the mental game. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what a life in football can look like on the coaching side of the game. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on Instagram or at www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and meet Brody Sams 02:57 How the 2002 World Cup hooked him on football at 11 06:03 The Brisbane Roar years and being told to "get a real job" 08:49 How he silenced the imposter syndrome from an Ajax mentor 11:49 What matters most: the goalkeeper coach and player relationship 14:48 Why watching football is the goalkeeper's secret weapon 17:32 Why US players still don't watch enough football 20:29 The random WhatsApp from Gotham 7 years after Nadine passed on his resume 23:29 "Bring it on, let's go": accepting the NWSL's worst-ranked club 26:25 The real differences between the A-League Women and NWSL 29:20 Inside the daily life of an NWSL goalkeeper coach 32:14 How he tracks progress and development in his goalkeepers 37:51 Journaling and reflection: the goalkeeper's secret weapon 42:56 What separates the number one goalkeeper from the number two 48:45 Inside the NWSL boom: Kansas City, Portland, and Angel City 54:35 What Australian football could learn from US openness 1:01:33 Stoppage Time Questions 1:06:14 His advice for young players chasing the dream 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Enjoy your football journey!

    EP 17: Brody Sams - From Brisbane to the NWSL: A Goalkeeper Coach who never Played Pro
  5. Sep 6

    EP 16: Daniel Solsky - Never in an A-League Academy, almost Quit Football, and now at Perth Glory!

    From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan calls Perth to sit down with Daniel Solsky, a 23-year-old goalkeeper who grew up in Sydney, was never in an A-League Academy, packed up his life at 18 to chase a professional career in Spain, came home without a contract, nearly quit football altogether midway through last year's NPL season, and then got a phone call from Perth Glory that changed everything. Solsky takes us through the whole journey. From starting at Maccabi Lions at five years old as an outfielder, being turned into a goalkeeper at nine after another kid's injury, and joining Hakoah where he won the NPL 1 under 16s league. He talks about his 10-minute trial at ESFA, the goalkeeper coaches who shaped him (Trinity Allen, Dave Plowright), and modelling his game on David De Gea. We move through his FFA Cup first grade debut for Hakoah at 17, signing for Manly United under Adam Griffiths (now head coach at Perth Glory), and the move to Cultural Leonesa in Spain at 18. Daniel is candid about the reality of playing in a tiny Spanish town at Leon, coming back to Australia without a contract, and the Wollongong Wolves NPL breakout year that put him on Perth Glory's radar. He opens up about the moment he almost quit football midway through last year, the Sydney-to-Wollongong commute five times a week, and the Perth Glory trial that led to breaking down in tears with his grandparents when the contract came through. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what the pathway to professional football looks like when you don't go through an A-League Academy. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 03:54 Starting at Maccabi Lions at 5 06:35 The injury at 9 that turned him into a goalkeeper 09:22 The 10-minute ESFA trial 11:56 David De Gea: the goalkeeper who shaped his mentality 14:45 Why clean sheets are everything to him 17:17 A family of goalkeepers: dad at Hakoah and grandpa's FFA role 22:00 The parents who drove him everywhere to chase the dream 23:57 Winning the NPL 1 under 16s league with Hakoah 25:26 The COVID year and getting split into the under 18s 28:40 First grade FFA Cup debut for Hakoah at 17 30:32 Signing at Manly United under Adam Griffiths at 18 35:33 What he'd do differently looking back on his youth career 39:17 Life in Spain: 42:57 The lessons Spain taught him about becoming a pro 45:08 Coming back to Sydney and searching for the next step 48:10 Signing for Wollongong Wolves and finding his form 49:45 The breakout NPL year 50:33 The Sydney-to-Wollongong commute five times a week 51:49 The moment he almost quit football 54:04 The Perth Glory trial and the 3-3 draw that almost ruined it 56:13 Breaking down in tears with his grandparents when the contract came 59:37 The circle that kept him going: 1:02:17 The message from Griffo that got left on read 1:04:56 Stoppage Time Questions 1:10:28 His advice for young players chasing the dream

    EP 16: Daniel Solsky - Never in an A-League Academy, almost Quit Football, and now at Perth Glory!
  6. Aug 30

    EP 15: Sammy Iredale - From Leipzig to Wolfsburg, Champions League and the Western Sydney Wanderers

    From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan sits down with Sammy Iredale, a 24-year-old German professional footballer freshly signed for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League Women. Sammy takes us through her journey from a tiny village club in Leipzig called SC Pulens, being one of the only girls in the school playground, and getting spotted by the DFB Mobile scout truck at eight years old. We move through her years at the Leipzig sports elite school under former East German international Detlef Schussler, her time at FF USV Magdeburg in the under 17s Bundesliga, and the youth national team callups that followed. Sammy is candid about her move to Wolfsburg's first team, the mental battle of not getting game time as a young player, and the ACL rupture against Ingolstadt at 19 that changed everything. She opens up about the rehab that reshaped her approach to strength training, her move to Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark where she played Champions League football, and why she believes every young girl should play with boys as long as she can to develop the physicality that so many female players struggle with when they step into senior football. She closes with what it means to sign for the Western Sydney Wanderers, her goals for her first A-League Women season, and an honest prediction on the friendly between Germany and the Matildas coming up in October. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who wants a real look at what it takes to build a professional career in women's football today. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on Instagram or at www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:45 Welcome and meet Sammy Iredale 03:19 Starting football with the boys at SC Pulens in Leipzig 05:06 The DFB Mobile scout truck that changed her path 06:45 Why she tells every young girl to play with boys as long as possible 13:48 The pasta rule from Detlef Schussler that stuck for ten years 15:51 Making her weakness her strength as a physical player 17:05 Ball marks on her bedroom wall: how she trained at home 18:51 Two years at FF USV Magdeburg's under 17s Bundesliga 20:29 Getting scouted into the German youth national teams 31:52 The move to Wolfsburg's first team and the reality check 34:21 The mental battle of not getting game time as a young player 41:06 The torn ACL against Ingolstadt at 19 43:32 "Everything happens for a reason": her rehab mindset 49:22 The move to Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark 54:28 Signing with Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League Women 1:02:23 Stoppage Time Questions 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    EP 15: Sammy Iredale - From Leipzig to Wolfsburg, Champions League and the Western Sydney Wanderers
  7. Aug 23

    EP 14: UBF - Grassroots, NPL, the A-League, and Where Australian Football is Heading

    From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan sits down with Abdul and Thomas from UBF, one of the fastest-growing independent football media brands in Australia. Two football-mad kids from Western Sydney who met at a Westfield Parramatta food court two and a half years ago and turned a conversation about Alexis Sanchez versus Eden Hazard into a media brand that now works with A-League clubs, NPL clubs, Football Australia, and covered the FIFA World Cup with the Socceroos. This is the second episode in the series on building a full-time life in football without ever playing professionally, because the game has far more to offer than just becoming a pro player. We cover the state of Australian football and where it is heading, why NPL teams are outperforming the A-League in the Hahn Australia Cup, the pay-to-play barrier that keeps talented kids out of the game, and why football is the most participated sport in Australia but still gets underfunded compared to table tennis. Abdul and Thomas open up about interviewing Gary Cahill, Matheus Tell, and Kevin Prince Boateng, the Australia versus Turkey World Cup moment that united the country, why A-League players need more character like Irankunda and Adrian Segesic, and Thomas's simple mantra for consistency: shut up, suit up, show up. They close with their best advice for every young player, content creator, and football fan trying to build something in the game: back yourself, be yourself, and put yourself out there. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what it takes to build a life in and around football. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on Instagram or at www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and meet UBF: Abs and Thomas 02:20 How UBF started at KFC over an Alexis Sanchez vs Eden Hazard debate 04:50 Why NPL teams are outperforming the A-League in the Australia Cup 07:32 Why Australian football fans could learn from European crowds 09:59 Just put yourself out there: advice for young football fans 12:50 Interviewing Gary Cahill, Matheus Tell, and Kevin Prince Boateng 15:37 Why Australia's most participated sport is underfunded 18:21 The pay-to-play barrier holding Australian football back 30:29 The Irankunda character effect and why A-League players need personality 38:25 The Australia vs Turkey World Cup moment that united the country 43:50 "Shut up, suit up, show up": Thomas's mantra for consistency 45:39 Stoppage Time: A-League predictions for the upcoming season 52:50 The best players they've ever played against 55:27 Their advice for young players: back yourself, be yourself 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Enjoy your football journey!

    EP 14: UBF - Grassroots, NPL, the A-League, and Where Australian Football is Heading
  8. Aug 16

    EP 13: Kealey Adamson - What It took to go from NPL 2 to the English Championship

    From First Touch to First Team is the podcast for young football players parents and coaches. Every episode, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional players, coaches, and people building lives around football, and unpacks the real journeys behind the game. The goal is simple: to give young players and their parents the education, the honest stories, and the perspective they need to navigate the pathway to professional football. In this episode, Jan calls London to sit down with Kealey Adamson, a right back who grew up on Sydney's North Shore, never played in an A-League Academy, and worked his way from Northern Tigers NPL 2 first grade to winning the Australia Cup with Sydney FC, his first A-League contract with MacArthur Bulls, and now Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship. Kealey talks about growing up at Linfield FC, the coaches who shaped him (including Adam Griffiths, now head coach at Perth Glory), and getting the Sydney FC email through his TD's connection with Kelly Cross. He is candid about the "delusional confidence" that convinced him he'd play for Sydney FC before there was ever a real chance, and the tibia fracture that ended his first season three games in. He opens up about winning the Australia Cup while being released simultaneously, the MacArthur Bulls offer that came through his agent while he was in a kebab shop, and how the QPR offer came in through an unexpected email. He also talks about representing Australia at the Olyroos in China, Qatar, and South Korea, and the reality of moving to London alone as a young Australian. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered what the pathway from grassroots Australian football to the European game really looks like. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. Find Eleade on Instagram or at www.eleadefussball.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:53 Welcome and meet Kealey Adamson 04:15 Growing up on Sydney's North Shore and starting at Linfield FC 06:39 From Linfield to Northern Tigers and playing NPL 2 first grade at 18 09:02 The Colombian carer, Adam Griffiths, and the two-touch drill 11:45 The neighbour who inspired him to do the extras 14:17 Playing two games a weekend and jumping age groups at Tigers 17:02 First grade at Northern Tigers and the Sydney FC email through Kelly Cross 19:52 The delusional confidence that got him into Sydney FC 22:17 Why he wishes he'd said "I want to be a pro" louder as a young player 24:43 First year at Sydney FC: tibia fracture and learning off the pitch 33:32 The MacArthur Bulls offer that came in a kebab shop 36:13 Coaching kids on the North Shore between A-League matches 38:28 What coaching kids taught him about his own game 42:11 How the QPR offer came in through an email 47:31 Playing for the Olyroos in China, Qatar, and South Korea 52:08 The reality of moving to London and playing in the Championship 1:00:19 Stoppage Time Questions 1:04:39 Kealey's advice for young players chasing the dream 🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Enjoy your football journey!

    EP 13: Kealey Adamson - What It took to go from NPL 2 to the English Championship

About

What does the pathway to professional football really look like? Honest stories for young players, parents and coaches. Every week, host Jan Schmidt sits down with professional footballers, coaches, and people who have built their working lives around the game, and unpacks the journey behind it. The first touch. The rejections. The sacrifices nobody posts about. The moment it turned professional, and everything that came after. From First Touch to First Team is made in Sydney and built for the Australian football landscape, but the guests come from everywhere: the A-League and A-League Women, the NPL, German football, the English Championship, the NWSL, European futsal, and professional leagues across Asia and the Middle East. Some of them made it. Some of them did not, and built a full-time career in football anyway. Both stories matter, and both are here. Past guests include Will Kennedy, Marcus Younis, Kiara De Domizio, Alexander Fuchs, Daniel Georgievski, Erin Nayler, Zac Sapsford, Nicholas Olsen, Lloyd Owusu, Claudio Fabiano, Kealey Adamson, Sammy Iredale, Daniel Solsky, Brody Sams and Daniel Cappellaro. Recurring themes: being cut or released as a young player, late development, the sacrifices families make, moving overseas as a teenager, choosing between an A-League academy and an NPL club, injury and coming back from it, identity and mental health in football, the gap between team training and individual development, and the many full-time careers in football that do not involve playing at all. Whether you are a young player chasing the dream, a parent supporting one, or a coach shaping the next generation, this is the honest education and perspective that is hard to find anywhere else. Jan and the Eleade Fussball coaches help young Australian players bridge the gap between team training and individual development, so they can reach the highest level possible. Individual and group sessions with a cognitive focus, game analysis, and performance testing, all built around the individual player. Through this podcast, we share the real journeys of players who have reached the top, so young footballers can see just how different every path can look. New episodes every Monday. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firsttouchtofirstteam/ Web: https://firsttouchtofirstteam.com

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