Becoming a defender might not be as popular with new players compared to being a striker. But there is a real art to defending. In this episode, Warren Hackett gives his insight on that and how we can help players develop their defending skills.

Warren, now an FA youth coach developer for the South East, takes us through his career as a professional footballer, and we learn about his transition into a coaching career that has led to coaching roles in Canada and India.

We ask Warren how defending has changed over the years. We dive deep into the skills that players need to become effective defenders and Warren offers advice to coaches on how they can develop these skills in players.

Warren gives advice on how coaches can observe games differently, to give them a better understanding of defending. We cover the six themes for the out-of-possession game with an overview of what they are, why they’re important and how to improve them. We also speak about how The FA’s six core capabilities can be applied to defending. Plus, Warren offers his tips for working on defending with younger players and at grassroots level and he leaves us with his swift session idea.

Covered in this episode:

• The journey Warren Hackett took from professional football to coaching.
• How has defending changed over the years?
• How coaches can develop the communication skills of defenders.
• Top tips for working on defending with younger players and at grassroots level.
• How coaches can help players develop their defending skills within The FA’s six core capabilities.
• The importance of the ‘before, during and after’ framework.
• Warren’s top coaching tips and session idea.

Transcript: Episode ten: The art of defending with Warren Hackett