In this episode I’m joined by former Celtic FC and current Raith Rovers FC Goalkeeper Robbie Thomson. Robbie’s career developed through the ranks at Celtic FC where he was called up on several occasions to the Scotland Youth International setup. He shares his thoughts on how mindset has changed his perspective on goalkeeping and why young players today need to be mindful of the illusion that the ‘big club bubble’ can create when forging yourself a career at the top end of the game.

We discuss:

• How the environment at elite clubs can cause young players to overestimate their abilities
• The identity crisis you can experience when leaving a big club and how you can begin to compartmentalise and accept your situation
• The harsh realities of overestimating where you are in your career and what managers in the EFL are looking for in goalkeepers
• What Flow/The Optimal Performance Zone feel like
• Speaking to a psychologist and making himself vulnerable to improve performance in the long run
• Why mindset is always a work-in-progress
• How being released can either be seen as a negative or an opportunity to explore different opportunities in your career
• How different clubs have different performance expectations and how you can go about managing the pressure

Without going over the top, this episode is a must listen for all academy goalkeepers. Robbie has so much knowledge and experience after working in one of the football world’s most elite environments. I found myself reflecting on my career whilst recording this podcast - there are so many great lessons and knowledge bombs which may just alter the course of an aspiring professional goalkeeper’s career for the better.

If you want to add 1% to your game right now, I’m giving you 5% just in this one episode. It’s a hidden gem for sure.

To keep up-to-date with Robbie, you can follow him on:

@robbiethomson93  @properformancegoalkeeping (Instagram)

If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave me a 5-star review and subscribe to the show.

If you have any questions or you think you could add value to the podcast by becoming a guest, please contact me (Kev) at:

Thegoalkeepersmindset@hotmail.com        

@theGKmindset (twitter)

@thegoalkeepersmindset (Instagram)