Jurgen Klopp on player development: “Get familiar with the ball”
Champions League winner Jurgen Klopp has spoken about how important it is for young players to spend more time practising with a ball - something TopTekkers helps children do more effectively.
Speaking in a Soccer.com interview, the former Borussia Dortmund manager said: “The more you do with the ball, the more you play with the ball, the better you get. Nobody should think that any world class player looked at a ball at 10 years old and didn’t know what it was.”
Using TopTekkers, the new app from the creators of The Coaching Manual [link to TCM website], players are encouraged and rewarded for improving the fundamental skills that are essential in an actual match. Liverpool FC boss Klopp explained that overall tactics become useless if you do not know these fundamentals.
He added: “The first touch for example. Everyone of us could train the first touch, so you have plenty of time to see what’s around you.
“If you need five seconds to control this piece of leather, then everything has already changed around you. So, practice so you can use the pitch and you can learn all the rest. It’s a team game and it’s a player’s game.
Klopp stressed that though spending time in group sessions on the training pitch is important, it’s vital for players to do ‘homework’ on their own to improve their own ball mastery.
He said: “I really fight for giving them time to develop. You cannot only go training and play football, you have to do a lot by yourself. It’s a nice thing, you can keep it up in your room. At the start, maybe a few windows get broke. But that’s how it should all start: get familiar with the ball.”
TopTekkers is for players aged 5-14 who want to master the beautiful game, and it’s for coaches and parents who want to help their young players to become the next footballing superstar.
To see how TopTekkers can help your child, or your young players reach their full potential in football, start your free trial today at https://app.toptekkers.club/
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