“I think the programme is fantastic. There’s nothing else like it...”

“To be honest, I think the programme is fantastic. I really do. I don’t think there’s much out there like it.

We play at the top level in Dublin, which is effectively the highest level in Ireland. We’ve worked our way up over the last few years, progressing from a lower league into this division.

At that level, it’s not that the kids suddenly have more ability — it’s the pace of the game. And it takes time to adapt to that.

When we first moved up, Josh really struggled with the speed. He was getting caught out a lot, which was very disheartening for him. Players were going past him regularly, and that hadn’t been happening the year before.

Since starting the programme, you can see a massive change. When someone goes past him now, he chases them down and tracks them back. He’s far more comfortable on the ball, and his confidence has honestly doubled.

He’s lost that fear of playing against other players. Before, he’d go into games worrying about being beaten or panicking. That’s completely gone now.

Physically, he’s starting to see real changes too. He can see muscle definition developing, and he loves that. He’s confident enough now to walk around without his top on — something he would never have done before.

When he was younger, he always carried a bit of extra weight and became self-conscious about it as he got older. He stopped taking his top off altogether. Now it’s the opposite — he’s proud of how he looks and how far he’s come.

Sometimes he looks back at photos from 12 months ago and says, ‘Dad, I can’t believe how I looked then.’ I take pictures of him now when he’s doing things like pull-ups, and the difference is incredible.

It’s not just the physical side — it’s the confidence that’s made the biggest difference.”

The game gets faster. Players need to be ready for it.

The Elite Football Athlete Programme helps young footballers adapt physically and mentally — so confidence grows as performance improves.

👉 Explore the programme