The Footballers Mindset

Benn Ward reached the level he had always wanted to play at. Deep down, he still didn’t believe he belonged there. After being released as a youngster, dropping into non-league football and earning his way back into the EFL, Benn found himself comparing himself with everyone around him. He thought they were calm and confident. Meanwhile, he was “bricking it”. Benn joined ELITE XI after hearing Luke O’Nien say that 90% of footballers are living in survival mode. In this conversation, the Reading defender explains how he has stopped allowing negative stories, mistakes and other people’s opinions to control his game. His overall Inner Game Index has risen from 49% to 70%, while his bravery has increased from 70% to 90% and his pre-match score from 40% to 77%. But the biggest change is his belief. Before, Benn questioned whether he was good enough to play at his level. Now he says: “I’m here because I deserve to be here.” This is an honest conversation about pressure, courage, confidence, mistakes, and learning to enjoy football again. If you’re a professional player and want to work with us, apply here: https://www.elitexiapply.com

"We only get one shot at this career." Keenan Gough has been at Charlton Athletic since he was nine. Now, on his first loan at Bristol Rovers, he is learning how to handle a new dressing room, greater pressure, and the difficult moments that test your confidence. In this honest conversation, Keenan talks about worrying what people thought of him, allowing mistakes to take over his game, feeling like an imposter, and creating negative stories before matches. He also shares the practical work that helped him change: mark it, park it, and focus on the next action. Since joining ELITE XI, Keenan’s overall Inner Game Index, our check-up for the mental side of a player’s game, has risen from 52% to 70%. His ability to reset after mistakes has gone from 25% to 75%. This isn’t about never feeling nervous or making mistakes. It’s about responding better when they happen. If you’re a professional footballer and want to work with Rob & Luke click below to apply. https://www.elitexiapply.com

Nine months ago, Oskars Vientiess said two things were holding him back: No processes and no acceptance. He wanted to become “Oskars 2.0”, a player who was courageous, trusted his instincts and stopped hiding when things went wrong. Since then, he has moved abroad, stepped up from the Czech second tier to the top flight and made his senior debut for Latvia. Three international appearances in eleven days. And his strongest match scores came while representing his country. Comparing the score Oskars gave his starting point with his latest self-assessment, his Inner Game Index moved from 54% to 75%. That is an increase of 21 percentage points and an overall improvement of 39%. Some of his biggest changes were: • Dealing with judgement: 29% → 82% (+53 points) • Reset speed after mistakes: 38% → 86% (+48 points) • Trusting his instincts: 35% → 76% (+41 points) • Handling stress: 44% → 83% (+39 points) • Enjoyment: 54% → 89% (+35 points) His three international match reviews averaged 84%, compared with 78% across his previous three club matches. But the real change cannot be explained by a score. Previously, one mistake could make Oskars hide for the rest of a game and affect him the following day. Against Slavia Prague, he scored an own goal in front of 13,000 people. Five seconds later, he was back on his feet, demanding the ball and refusing to hide. That is the work of showing up when it matters. In this conversation, Oskars explains: • Why he decided to start training his mentality • How he stopped fearing other people’s judgement • The processes he now uses before every match • Why accepting mistakes helped him play with greater freedom • How he responds immediately when something goes wrong • What it felt like to make his senior international debut • Why working alongside other professional players has helped him • What he is working on as he moves from “Oskars 2.0” to “Oskars 3.0” Most players have coaches for their technical, tactical and physical performance. Very few have anybody helping them with the part that affects all three. Their mentality. If you are a professional footballer and know your mind is stopping you from showing your best game consistently, apply to work with Rob, Luke and the team inside Elite XI: https://www.elitexiapply.com Subscribe for more honest conversations about the inner game of professional football.

One player was drinking every night. But every morning, he walked into training with a smile on his face, and nobody had a clue that he was struggling. That is football. Players learn very quickly how to put on a mask. They tell everyone they’re fine, hide what they’re really feeling and carry on because they’re terrified that admitting they’re struggling will make them look weak. In this episode, Luke O’Nien speaks honestly about the masks he wore throughout his career, losing his identity and reaching a point where he didn’t know who he was anymore. We talk about: • Why football becomes a player’s entire identity • Why asking for help can feel like weakness • The pressure to fit into a new dressing room • Reading criticism and opinions on social media • What happens when emotions are continually pushed down • How Luke now uses emotions as information • Why journaling changed his life • The support network every professional player needs After analysing 107 conversations with professional footballers, we found that 106 of them had suffered in silence or hidden what they were genuinely experiencing. That should tell you everything. Struggling doesn’t make you weak. Pretending you’re fine doesn’t make the struggle disappear. The lone wolf starves. You are stronger in a pack. If you’re a professional footballer and want support from people who understand what the game is really like, apply to join Elite XI: https://www.elitexiapply.com

One mistake shouldn't cost you the whole game. For most footballers, it does. In this episode, Elite XI's Rob Blackburne and Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien break down "mistake looping": the mental spiral where one error glazes your eyes over, drags you out of the present, and quietly pulls you into a second mistake and a third. Luke is brutally honest about the years he spent trapped in it. Hearing 35,000 people groan. Replaying the mistake on a loop while the game carried on without him. Hiding it by playing safe and passing the buck. Then he breaks down exactly how he got out. We get into: ▸ What mistake looping actually is, and why it leads to more mistakes ▸ Why it's never the mistake, it's what the mistake means about you ▸ How overthinking before a game makes the mistake come true ▸ The reframe elite players use: if you're not making mistakes, you're not making things happen ▸ Why telling yourself "don't make a mistake" guarantees more of them ▸ Finding your baseline, and the Three A's framework: awareness, acceptance, action ▸ Turning judgment into feedback, with a boxing analogy that makes it click ▸ Why 107 out of 107 players we analysed struggled with the same thing If mistakes wreck your head and your game, this is the one to watch. 🏆 APPLY TO WORK WITH ROB & LUKE Elite XI is our inner-game programme for footballers serious about the mental side. If you want help dealing with mistakes, Apply here 👉 https://elitexiapply.com 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes on the psychology of elite football. Next up: why so many players suffer in silence.

Rob Blackburne (co-founder of Elite XI) and Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien break down the psychological side of pro football almost no one talks about: the fear, overthinking and pressure that quietly control most players. Luke opens up on how football went from play to prison, the years stuck in "survival mode," and how he rebuilt his confidence mid-match, after a penalty and an own goal in the same game. We get into: ▸ The four fears: judgment, expectations, the unknown, failure ▸ Why form is a thinking problem, not a skill problem ▸ Confidence as a belief system you build, not something you wait to feel ▸ "Survival mode" vs "thrive mode", and why 107 of 107 players struggled with the same thing If your mind is holding your game back, this one's for you. 🏆 APPLY TO WORK WITH ROB & LUKE www.elitexiapply.com Elite XI is our 1-1 mentoring program for professional footballers. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes on the psychology of elite football.

Play What Is Stop Fighting Football. Start Playing It. Every professional footballer is playing two games. There's the game everyone can see. Twenty-two players, one ball, two goals. Then there's the game nobody sees. The one in your head. What does the manager think of me? Am I starting next week? Why am I not further ahead? What if I'm not actually good enough? Nobody teaches you how to play that one. Play What Is is a full audiobook for professional footballers, read by performance and mindset coach Rob Blackburne, built from years of conversations with players at every level from the Premier League to non-league. It isn't positive thinking. You won't be told you're amazing, or that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the criticism is right. Sometimes the manager doesn't rate you. Reality isn't always nice, but reality is useful, because it's the only place you can actually work from. Across thirteen chapters, it covers the stories you tell yourself, the gap between what is and what you think should be, staying in your own business, why courage comes before confidence, the four fears underneath almost every player's head, mistakes and reset speed, judgement, expectations, who you are without football, uncertainty, overthinking, and how to find your way back to playing. The method is built on the work of Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is, taken into the dressing room and translated into team sheets, contracts, managers, crowds, and injuries. It comes down to five things. Awareness. Acceptance. Turnaround. Action. Play. Because the game is still happening while you're arguing with yourself. If you're a pro footballer and want to work with Rob & Luke exclusively this season, go to www.elitexiapply.com fill in a short form, and we will be in touch. Join other pro players who are taking their games to the next level today.

In today's episode, I have Wrexham's, Elliott Lee. The progress he's made has been astronomical in the last few months since we've been working together. We discuss: Taking the positives from the negatives and how this has made him more confident Accepting the way he feels now instead of arguing with it and being in conflict with himself internally Why he's loving football more than ever now he's at Wrexham and he's embracing the challenge He talks about some challenges he's had in the past that he's only ever told 5 people, but he's hoping that by speaking about it, it can help others in some way. Inspirational and brave on so many levels. If you want to work with me and improve your game as Elliott has, click the link below and apply to work with me one-on-one and I'll be in touch. www.eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply

In today's podcast, I have former Watford defender Tommie Hoban. We discuss: The frustration Tommie had with injures How he dealt with the injuries mentally Why he decided to retire just one week after signing for a new club and moving his family up north Why he decided to become a financial advisor and why he wants to help footballers with their finances If you want to contact Tommie about your finances go to www.hobanwealth.co.uk You can access my FREE programme for pros for a limited time. How to deal with fear, and how to change your attention when your confidence is low. Go to: https://eliteperformancemindset.com/freecourse Or if you want to work with me one on one. https://eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply

In today's episode, I have Bolton Wanderer's, Kieran Sadlier. We discuss: What he's learnt from working with me and the differences he feels on and off the pitch. How he trained to get into flow state, got over mistakes and learnt to play with freedom. Why you need to put the reps in at the mind gym and why mindset talent is just as important as performance talent. If you want to work with me one-on-one, change your game, and break free from the shackles of negative thinking. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO APPLY AND SEE THE DETAILS. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply

In today's episode, I have Amber Ledger. Amber is a psychologist and well-being coach who works in football and has a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to psychology. We talk: Fear in football and why players are worried about speaking out and being vulnerable. Why players need to self-reflect more and how you go about doing that How trauma can cause physiological symptoms Why you need to speak to someone to get different perspectives To find Amber on Instagram @therapywithamber_ If you're a professional player and want to work with me one on one. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO APPLY AND SEE THE DETAILS https://eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply This is for you if: You want mistakes to stop eating you up, you want to move on from them quickly this is what separates the top pros from the rest You feel like you're trapped in an endless cycle of negative thinking and want to get out of your own head (it's easier than you think) ​You feel like you're constantly being judged and you feel under pressure ​You want to improve your mindset. Performance is 80% psychological and 20% football. So why are you constantly training the 20%? ​You want to learn how your mind works and want to learn how to be in "the zone" or "flow state"

In this episode, I record a one-on-one coaching call with Will Cain who plays at Sunderland's academy. Not going to lie I'm nervous about this one as this is me doing what I do, and I'll be putting myself out there to be judged... BUT... Listening to people being coached helps me so it will massively help you too. We talk about: Learning from setbacks Creating confidence Why progress isn't linear Why you're your best own coach I hope you enjoy this one... If you're a professional and want to work with me one on one and see the details click the link below. https://eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply If you want to work with me and Luke O'Nien in the Inner Game Academy then click the link below to join our pre sale list. Only 30 places available. https://eliteperformancemindset.com/academy

In today's episode, Luke and I talk about our upcoming academy and how it will help the new generation of footballers. To apply go to: https://eliteperformancemindset.com/academy If you're a pro player and want to work with me one-on-one over the next 10 weeks to improve your performance click the link below to apply. https://eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply

In today's episode, I discuss the top 10 lessons I've discovered since working with professional footballers and professional football teams. What do pro players struggle with when it comes to inner performance The four big fears in football and why it keeps the shackles on you and stops you from performing How to change your language to give you maximum results I'm taking on 2 pro players to work with me privately over the next 10 weeks. Click the link below to see the details and apply https://eliteperformancemindset.com/proapply If you're in an academy and want to work with me and Luke O'Nien then click below to apply to join our Inner Game Academy (first week is just £1) https://eliteperformancemindset.com/academy

After a bit of a sabbatical, were back. In today's episode, we talk about Matt's recent retirement and the lessons he's learned through his career. We also talk about what he'd do differently if he could do it again. A brilliant listen for any young footballer.

In today's episode, Rob, Matt and Luke talk about financials in football. Do professional players leave it too long to think about what to do with their finances after football? Is it something that they don't want to think about or is it something that they don't value until too late? What do you think? Contact me at Rob@thefootballersmindset.com and let me know what you think.

In today's episode, Rob, Matt and Luke talk about transitioning into coaching. We discuss: How Matt dealt with realising that he needs to change his career path from playing to coaching. What makes a great coach How coaching has changed from years ago. If you're a pro and you're looking to upgrade your mindset you can join Rob on his new Mindset Reset programme. Click the link below to see the details and apply. https://www.thefootballersmindset.com/promindsetreset

In this episode, Rob, Matt & Luke talk about social media, the good and the bad. Is social media a friend or foe when it comes to your football career. Why social media is mostly smoke and mirrors and you shouldn't be comparing your life to others. How you can use social media to make you better and use it for inspiration to drive you forward.

In the episode, we have former Reading midfielder Scott Davies. He talks about: How gambling took over his life and how you managed to get a handle on it. How he gambled away the deposit on his house in 15 days. How he lost his identity and turned up to pre-season training two stone overweight If you need any help with any of the issues that were discussed in this podcast please get in contact with Gamcare. https://www.gamcare.org.uk/ If you enjoyed this podcast please do us a favour, share and subscribe and give us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.

In today's episode, Rob , Matt and Luke talk about all the gems and learning from the last series and add a few nuggets of advice in themselves. If you're a professional footballer you're in for a treat. The new MINDSET RESET programme for pro's is starting soon. To find out what you get and how you can improve your game personally and professionally visit: https://www.thefootballersmindset.com/pro-mindset-reset-apply