1. Train football for hours and hours
There’s no single professional player that hasn’t trained football a lot. Practice makes perfect. And that’s what you need to do. A simple guideline is to train at least 10.000 hours. At your club or university and in your spare time at the local pitch or in your backyard. Or, make sure to check tip number 2, at a football school..
2. Train your technical skills
Football schools are really getting popular because it focusses a lot on the technical aspects of the football game. And that’s where your football journey of becoming a professional player start. You need to have good technical skills to pass, control and dribble the way you want to. Check out your local football school or club and make sure your coach has the ability to improve your technical level.
3. Getting fit
Even when you have good technical skills, you could not have given a single chance to become professional. That’s maybe due to your fitness levels. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or tall, but you need to have at least a certain speed, strength and mobility to turn around and move. Need to improve this aspect? Make sure to check if your local fitness school has some expert tips. Warning: don’t over-fitness yourself.
4. Master awareness and decision making
Expert tip! Where the good players differ from the best is the awareness and decision making aspect. But also the knowhow about how to execute the choices that are made. Train your awareness with a personal tactical analysis coach. This will help you understand in-depth how the best players move, look, prepare and execute their actions. Tactical Base has some experts that could even make Virgil van Dijk a better defender, Kevin de Bruyne a better midfielder and Kylian Mbappé a better attacker.
5. Study professional footballers
Want to get better in football? Look at the way your idols are playing the game. But, it is probably better to study a player that has similarities with your technical and physical qualities. This tip looks easy, but it is hard to look at the smallest of details that makes the player able to play at that level. You can always ask Tactical Base in a session to look at the details of a certain football player and where to look at.
6. Eat, sleep and eat well
Want to perform good in football matches and practice? Make sure to eat and sleep well. Don’t underestimate this aspect of the game. Do not consume too many calories and junk food, but enough to have your energy levels up. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and make sure to sleep for around 8 to 10 hours.
7. Set goals and enjoy the game
When starting a season or match, set (new) goals constantly. This is a crucial way to get instant more motivation. Set goals like scoring goals, giving assists, create scoring chances, dribble past opponents, pass accuracy, conceding goals, et cetera. It’s not always about winning, but improving your own goals. That’s the focus you need to become a better football player. But always enjoy (the little things in) football!
Tactical Base (founded in 2021) is a company that guides professional football players and clubs in various national- and international competitions (MLS, Bundesliga, Premier League, Champions League, f.e.) worldwide. Nowadays, the company also trains scouts and analysts to improve their impact.