Football DNA Podcast

Welcome to Football DNA Extra-Time!

Being a Grassroots Coach can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it can also bring countless challenges and difficulties. That’s why we decided to create a brand new weekly bite-size podcast with quick, actionable points that are transferrable to Grassroots coaching environments.

Hosted by Paul Barry, our Head of Coaching, Content & Club Support, Extra-Time addresses a different topic in each short episode to reflect common Grassroots Coaching issues, aiming to offer practical advice that is applicable to training and match day environments.
Paul has worked in the Football industry for nearly 30 years, with 10 of those in Grassroots programmes and the remaining time spent operating in full-time roles in Academy Football for Football League and Premier League clubs across London and the South East of England. Now, as a Coach Developer and Educator, Paul aims to lend his considerable knowledge and experience supporting coaches, whatever their age and stage of journey.
Please let us what you think of Football DNA Extra-Time and what Grassroots coaching challenges you face at your club. We'll look to try and cover as many different topics as possible over the forthcoming episodes.

In this episode of the Football DNA Podcast, our host Paul Barry is joined by Sion Kitson, Head of Technical and Development for England Futsal, for an in-depth conversation exploring the game of Futsal, its unique characteristics, and the opportunities it presents for player and coach development.
Sion brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, from representing Wales on the International stage, to working across different sports and now helping shape the technical direction and development of Futsal in England. 
Sion explains Futsal’s five unique characteristics and how they shape the technical, tactical, physical and psychological demands placed on players. He discusses how the game can influence coaching approaches, encourage more game-centred learning and provide players with opportunities to develop their ability to solve problems under pressure. 
Whether you coach grassroots football, work in player development, deliver coach education or simply want to understand more about the relationship between Futsal and Football, this episode offers plenty to consider about how the game can help shape better players, more adaptable coaches and new opportunities for the future of the game in England.

In this episode, we are joined by Gregg Britton, a UEFA A and AFC Pro Licence coach with more than 20 years’ experience working across professional football in England, Europe, Australia and Asia. His coaching career has included roles with Bristol Rovers, VV Baronie in the Netherlands, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Queensland State, Brisbane Strikers and Kidderminster Harriers, as well as senior and academy roles in Uzbekistan and Thailand.
Gregg now works within FIFA’s Talent Development Programme, supporting youth development and national-team environments in Tajikistan His work includes talent identification, coach education, supporting national-team staff and helping develop longer-term player pathways. He also shares his experiences of coaching international youth players and working within different football cultures, exploring how coaches need to adapt their approach when working outside the UK.
In this episode, we discuss:
•⁠ ⁠Gregg’s coaching journey from the UK into international football and the different clubs, academies and federations he has worked with.
•⁠ ⁠His current role within FIFA’s Talent Development Programme and the challenges of developing youth pathways within a national football environment.
•⁠ ⁠The practical challenges of working overseas, including language, culture, communication, travel and adapting to different football environments.
•⁠ ⁠The differences between coaching young players internationally and working with players within the UK, including differences in football backgrounds, experiences and expectations.
•⁠ ⁠How coaches can adapt their communication and coaching approach when working with players and staff from different cultural backgrounds.
•⁠ ⁠The importance of building relationships and understanding the environment before trying to implement your own ideas.
•⁠ ⁠Working effectively as part of a multi-national support staff, where coaches, analysts, technical staff and other specialists may have very different experiences and perspectives.
•⁠ ⁠How to create a shared philosophy and work towards common objectives when working across different countries and football cultures.
•⁠ ⁠Gregg’s experiences of balancing player development and results within international youth football.
•⁠ ⁠The importance of remaining open-minded, continuing to learn and recognising that there is rarely one right way to develop players.
This is a fascinating insight into the realities of international youth football, and how coaching principles, communication and relationships need to adapt when working with players and staff from different countries and cultures.

In this episode, we sit down with Tony Colbert. A former Arsenal First Team Coach and current consultant at FIFA in a Technical Expert role.
Tony brings a wealth of elite experience to the show, reflecting on his storied career working under Arsène Wenger and preparing world-class talent at the very highest level of the game. He shares valuable insights into how his work with FIFA's global development initiatives—including the ⁠FIFA Talent Development Scheme⁠—is helping empower coaches worldwide.
For coaches at all levels, Tony also delivers practical, actionable advice on structuring an effective preseason, sharpening player coordination, and applying professional standards to grassroots environments.

In This Episode, We Cover:
Life Under Arsène Wenger: What it takes to train world-class footballers at Arsenal Football Club.
Global Coach Education: How Tony's work as a FIFA Technical Expert supports coaching development across the globe.
Building a Preseason: Practical advice for grassroots and youth coaches on structuring an impactful, well-rounded preseason.
Technical Activation & Coordination: Key principles behind preparing players physically and technically for peak performance.

Explore Tony Colbert's Work At FIFA:
Check out Tony's ⁠FIFA Technical Activation Series⁠ for structured circuits designed to sharpen player movement, technical quality, and coordination.
Learn more about his drills and educational resources available on the ⁠FIFA Training Centre

In this episode, we're joined by experienced sports nutritionists Kate Shilland and Fran Taylor from Performance Canteen to discuss one of the most important aspects of youth player development—football nutrition. Whether you're a coach, parent or young footballer, this episode is packed with practical, evidence-based advice to help players fuel their performance, recover effectively and develop healthy habits that last a lifetime.
Kate and Fran work with young athletes and their families, simplifying sports nutrition and helping parents feel confident about making the right food choices around training and match days. Together, we explore common nutrition myths, hydration, recovery, tournament advice and how to build realistic routines that fit around school, football and family life.
We also discuss two fantastic resources they've developed to support families. Their book, How to Feed a Footballer: A Parents' Handbook to Feeding Young Footballers, provides expert answers to the questions parents ask most, making sports nutrition easy to understand and apply.
Kate & Fran have also created The Game Ready Fuel System™, a practical 12-week programme that brings elite sports nutrition principles into everyday family life with just 10 minutes of learning each week.
Check out both these resources at performancecanteen.co.uk.
If you're looking to help young footballers maximise their potential on and off the pitch, this episode is full of actionable advice that every football family can benefit from.