Neil Harris - Person Before Player: 21 Years at Manchester United Academy

In this conversation, Neil Harris shares his extensive coaching journey, transitioning from a player to a coach at Manchester United and eventually becoming self-employed. He discusses the importance of building trust with players and their families, the challenges faced in modern youth football, and the impact of professionalism on player development. Harris emphasizes the need for individualized coaching approaches and the significance of mentorship in shaping young players. He also reflects on the pressures of professional football and the importance of maintaining a love for the game.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:46 A New Chapter
• 4:02 From Grassroots to Manchester United Academy
• 8:29 The Influence of Mentorship in Coaching
• 12:11 The Role of Family and Support Networks
• 18:06 Navigating the Modern Youth Football Landscape
• 27:26 Managing Expectations in Youth Development
• 28:26 Setting Realistic Goals for Young Players
• 32:18 Building Trust and Communication with Players
• 39:47 Understanding the Psychological Aspects of Youth Players
• 46:31 The Impact of Environment on Player Performance
• 52:24 The Pressure of Professional Football
• 53:26 The Shift from Player-Centric to Coach-Centric Game
• 55:39 Empowering Young Players in Coaching
• 1:01:03 Lightning Round: Insights from Neil Harris
• 1:07:28 Predictions for the Premier League Season
• 1:14:47 Episode Summary and Takeaways

Transcript

Neil Harris
I'm a massive believer that players don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. That's a massive one for me. And for me, real learning takes place once a kid knows you care about them. Unbelievable learning takes place once a parent knows that you care about their kid. That's where, for me, the holy grail of coach, parent, and players is absolutely

Alf Gracombe
Hello and welcome to the CoachCraft Podcast, where we explore the art of coaching youth sports through conversations with exceptional coaches. Through in-depth conversations with coaches at every level, from grassroots to professional, we uncover not only the philosophies and methods that shape how they develop players, but also what the journey of coaching means to them personally. Join us as we go beyond coaching cliches and conventional wisdom to reveal the specific practices and insights that make great coaches truly exceptional at their craft.

In today's episode, I'm so excited to sit down with Neil Harris, who spent over two decades developing young players at the Manchester United Academy. Neil's approach centers on understanding that effective coaching happens both on the grass and off, building meaningful relationships with each individual player. Throughout our conversation, he shares how he helped shape hundreds of young athletes who went on to compete in World Cups and Champions League finals. Most importantly,

He reveals why the best coaches understand that their role isn't about showcasing their own knowledge, it's about truly knowing and caring for each player as an individual. So whether you're coaching at the grassroots level or in an elite academy, Neil's insights will challenge how you think about your role as a coach. Welcome.

Alf Gracombe
All right, well, Neil Harris, welcome to the CoachCraft

Podcast. It's a pleasure to have you here. yeah, we've been chatting for a bit over the last few months and glad to get the chance to finally sit down with you and have a conversation.

All right. Well, let's get started. And actually, we'd just love to hear what you've been up to the last few months. I know you left Manchester United, but yeah, just fill us in a bit. What have you been up to?

Neil Harris
Yeah it's been a busy busy period so obviously once I left United took a little bit of stock in terms of what I wanted to do and

So I've just decided to go into the realms of self-employment really. Very fortunate that a lot of people contacted me. A few clubs wanted me to go back in. I wasn't really wanting to jump in after 21 years. So I've just been doing my own thing. So I've been to America three times. I've been to Chicago, Tampa and San Francisco last week. I've been to Malta doing some coaching. I've been to Romania. I delivered some coach education over in Romania for the Radical Football Group which was really good.

and how they're trying to change the football and youth coaching in Romania and similar areas around there. I went to Singapore, did some coach education over in Singapore for the Singapore FA which was really really good, that was with Mike Phelan. ⁓ So yeah, I've ⁓ been busy, I ⁓ do some...

Scout for, well we're a first team club but now a championship club recently, sorry, Premier League club but now a championship club. So I do some scouting, sort of 17 to 21s there on target players. But yeah, busy, I've got a few coaching, sort of different types of things that I do here in the UK, but all along the lines of of coach education, player education and parent education really, the holy trinity for football really, certainly in youth football.

Alf Gracombe
you

Yeah, great. And I would love to get back to this maybe a little later in our conversation. Just, mean, you've put a lot of miles ⁓ on recently and you've kind of seen football across these different cultures. It must be really interesting. And I've got a lot of questions just about, you know, what you're seeing in the U S but let's, let's come back to that. Cause I want to talk a little bit more about your coaching journey and then just, you know, going back now 20 plus years before you're at Man United. can you talk about your journey? I know it started around the grassroots and then in

to the Academy at Man United, but would love to hear that story.

Neil Harris
Yeah,

so I played for Manchester United as a youth player. Then went on to Baltimore Wanderers, Scunthorpe and a couple of clubs. then as a lot of people, a combination of injuries plus probably not good enough to get to the highest level and things. then had...

children young and basically what happened was that my son's team was going to fold they were only a small grassroots club at the time so I said whilst I was out injured I would help them do some coaching and take the team so they know they wouldn't fold basically I was actually scouted by a United scout who's there watching the players I think he just liked the mannerisms the way I was you know just very relaxed on the touchline and having fun with the players and obviously saw that maybe the connection that I had with them

So yeah, think I trained with them once during the week and then they had a game at the weekend. And then, yeah, he just asked me, would I like to come into Manchester United, have a conversation with Tony Whelan and Les Kershaw back then.

but I didn't have any badges, that was literally me just helping out, had to have the basic, I think it's level one now to do it. So they sort of said, you you need these badges to do it. So I went away and did them just to cut a long story boring really. I did the B license, which was split into two parts back then. ⁓

over the next three years and then just phone them up really. I'd been in at Blackburn for a little bit, they'd asked me to go in and do some academy work there but obviously United was on my doorstep and...

and yes I just started off working with the sort sevens and eights running a small centre up in Stockport here in Greater Manchester and then also being at the famous Cliff on a Sunday and that's where I first met into René Meulensteen obviously went on to be skill development coach then first team assistant coach at Manchester United and we very much sort of went down a Coerver route with René at the time and then obviously you know as football has progressed we've

we changed a little bit but yeah and then ended up being there 21 years so did pretty much every age group all the way through to the sort of 16s and worked with the Manners boys at the school which is the obviously the best boys so from the last few years Marcus Rashford, McTominay, Elanga, Mainoo and things who would all be in those in that school in the past obviously Pique would be there and Giuseppe Rossi and Pogba and things like that Jesse Lingard

So that was good to obviously work there at the school as well. But yeah, so just through all the age group, primarily sort of 13s to 14s was sort of my core group, 12s to 13s. But obviously we'd dip in with the older ages as and when, but I would say sort of my core years were around the 12s to 14s year really.

Alf Gracombe
I can't imagine this is a typical route into the Man United Academy coming from the grassroots. how do you kind of reflect back on that? And also compare yourself to other coaches coming into the academy.

Neil Harris
100 % so I think you know I think at the time I was the young certainly the young well I was definitely the youngest coach at Manchester United at the time and coming through I you know I was very lucky I said this so many times I was very lucky to come into a group of people that was Les Kershaw, Jim Ryan, Paul McGuinness ⁓

and then later Brian McClair, Tony Whelan, just wonderful football people but the most important thing, they knew football but they knew children and it was about children, it was about children's football or about children and then children's football from there really so very very lucky to be scouted as a coach when obviously they were... ⁓

there just watching a player and you know I look at my son now my son's going down the same route he's coaching in grassroots he coaches in schools he's just started work with Liverpool soccer schools was with me last week in America doing some coaching and it's very tough it's very very tough to get into to an academy now and obviously there's even more now with pre-academy ⁓

So the younger age is emerging talent, which is sort like a shadow squad, which a lot of academies are doing. So there's lots more roles, but it's still very, very difficult to get in there. So yeah, 100 % very fortunate. I don't know what they saw in me, but yeah, they did. And like I say, I was just so very, very fortunate to be around the people that I was when I came into the club.

Alf Gracombe
you

Yeah, you talk about the people and it's not the first time his name has come up in this podcast, Tony Whelan. I know he was, so I know he was a mentor of yours and just someone who was very involved in your development at Man United. If you can talk a little bit about him. I mean, a lot of folks knew who he is, but maybe just a quick background and then kind of how he oriented around the youth game. Cause I think it's, I think it's unique and we'd love to hear more about them.

Neil Harris
It won't be the last that I add it.

It is and he sadly left Manchester United last year as well I think after 34 years so he was there as a player, one of first black players at Manchester United, moved on to Manchester City and then probably he probably most famous stint was out in America so he played ⁓ for Fort Lauderdale and he's gonna kill me here now. ⁓

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
going to remember

that. But anyway, I he's based out of Atlanta as well, but I don't think whether it was for Atlanta as well. But he played out here, you know, in the boom period of Cruyff and Beckenbauer and Pelé.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah, North American

Soccer League, yeah. That's right.

Neil Harris
North American Soccer League, I was talking to somebody last week in San Francisco about

that and you know he I'll tell you another time a funny story about his pal maybe you need to get him on and he'll tell you about his Pelé shirt but he's got a Pelé Cosmos shirt that he used to bring in and show the kids that famous green with the yellow cotton number 10 on the back and things

Alf Gracombe
Amazing.

⁓

Neil Harris
And then Tony came back to the UK eventually, think he then went to Rochdale but had a bad break, which sort of back in them days, early 80s think it was. Probably now you'd be back in X amount of time, but it was a bit longer then. So then trained as a social worker. So he was then a social worker for quite a few years. And then did a little bit of coaching, I think with Manchester City, again, sort of in the community stuff. And then it was Brian Kidd, who we obviously knew from United in the past.

Brian Kidd had been out in America as well. Brian Kidd asked him would he come in and I started doing some coaching at the time with Paul and ⁓ Brian Kidd and Nobby Stiles. My coaches at Manchester United were...

Brian Kidd who scored a goal on his 19th birthday in a European Cup final, Champions League football final for the younger listeners and viewers. And then Nobby Stiles who played in the same game and also won the World Cup in 66. So again, I've been very lucky to have had two coaches like that and then obviously mentors as a young coach myself.

And then, so yeah, and then Tony's always been about the, you know, the child first. It's all about the person first. You have to build those connections. And that was, you know, taught to myself and some other lucky coaches who, you know, we shared wonderful journeys for, for 20 odd years. You know, it wasn't about the results. wasn't about the techniques, tactics and technical side of things. It was more about the connections and...

know, just some wonderful quotes he used to give us down the years, but you know, it's not a race, it really wasn't a race and we don't know how long these boys are going be with us, so we've got to make sure that we try and give them as much as we possibly can because we know the percentage rates on players getting into Manchester United first team, but also to Premier League football. We were very aware of that, but at the same time, very lucky.

the players that we were able to support and play for first team and then obviously go and play in World Cups and Champions Leagues and European Championships and things. Considering we could only sign boys from an hour and half away from Manchester, we're really, really proud of that. We were very also humble that the players did it, the kids did it with the parents and things, but we were very happy and lucky to play a little part of their journey along the way.

Alf Gracombe
I'd love to hear more about the role of the families and even the broader community or network of people around a young player. Someone who's been identified as having some talent. Maybe Marcus Rashford is a good ⁓ example of this. What does it take? What are the ingredients that a child needs to have around him or her as they progress through this journey of Academy football?

Neil Harris
I say they have to have a great support network. if I think back to those players that I've listed and named there, they've had wonderful support networks. And that might still be that as a one parent family, that might be that they have separated parents. It's just that, I think that support network that they trust the coaches. To mention Marcus there, obviously Marcus lived with his mom and his brothers and his sister and things. He just had a wonderful

support network and that they just they championed in but at the same time they were realistic and they'd you know they trusted us it's funny somebody put a thing on LinkedIn today about a couple of players

today who scored at the weekend and things and their dads are actually their managers now they both just signed for their dads in the the lower leagues in the English game both scored at the weekend and somebody asked me a question and i said you know the dads were absolutely different class you know i've been very fortunate to to work with Ryan Gigsy's son Nicky Butts' son, René Meulensteen's son Edwin van der Sar's son Robbie Savage's son those parents were different class considering what

what they've done in the game themselves. trusted us to get on with it really. So a real good support network around them, whether it's siblings, whether it's parents, grandparents.

And then also just that, that they know that, you know, it's a long journey and just an appreciation that, you know, it's going to be hard work and it's, you know, like I say, it is a marathon, not a sprint. But if I would look back to most of those players and if we were to list all the players that have got through and played to a really good level or even just play for Manchester United, I would just say good kids, real good support network around them who trusted the process really. And that's my worry now a little bit with

regards to youth football certainly in England is that you know there's so many people involved now.

You can have agents knocking on your door at such a young age, overexposure due to social media now. People are knowing about you, people are wanting to get you in a race. saw something today actually, very topical while we're doing it. Somebody put that England under 19s, we're playing Germany's under 19s today. And somebody who reports Manchester United in the local press here said, no Manchester United players, this is a concern.

And then lots of people are coming on and why is this? Why was this? won the youth cup last year. We won the league last year. But it's not about that. So you've got pressure there from a person in the press, in the English press, who's just put probably just a throwaway comment in there. And now you've got people worried about that all these players that get talked about on either on MUTV or social media. So everything's a race now. And I think we've also got to think about the... ⁓

the age of parents now. So when I first joined Manchester United, I was younger than every single parent of a player I coached. When I left Manchester United, I was probably older than all the parents I was coaching. If you're coaching an eight year old now, those parents could be 25, 26, potentially younger.

And it's a different world, it's a different generation. They've grown up on social media, they've grown up on things, they've grown up to maybe, not necessarily entitlement, I don't mean that in a bad way, but that things can happen a little bit quicker. So I think it is tough now because of the overexposure of social media, because of the structure of academies, the EPPP and the Premier League. there's an MDT team now around it, and some amazing, wonderful people that work in an MDT team.

but I worked with a multidisciplinary team. for example in Cat 1 Academy now you would have, so I gave this explanation to somebody recently, so in the old days you would have a know maybe a player get dropped off by his parents or grandparents and probably the first person and maybe only person he'd see was maybe the coach and the assistant coach, maybe a physio if they were injured.

Alf Gracombe
Sorry, what's that? MVT? MDT, yeah.

Neil Harris
maybe an academy manager if they were there. Definitely a Tony because Tony would be walking around with a cup of tea asking them how school was, how the dog was, how the mum and dad were and things like that. Now, Cat 1 Academy players will get transporting so they'll be getting brought in by a driver associated towards the club potentially. When they come in they'll potentially be met by a match day coordinator, somebody on the desk.

They might meet a sports scientist, they may want to talk to them about their stats at the weekend or something that happened. They may see a physio, they may see an education person, they may be see somebody who's serving them the food in the evening. They may see a psychologist, they may see a...

I think I said education, but there's so many different people around there before they even see the coach. So they could have been asked eight, nine different questions the same way before they even see the coach. So I think it is difficult now or sorry, it's tough now because of the additional networks that are in place within an academy, by the way, who do wonderful jobs as a sum of, you know, of all parts and things. But with that overexposure to social media as well and possibly the pressures now that...

to be in a race, think it is lot tougher now, potentially, because of just the additional demands.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah. I mean, the resource is being brought to bear for Academy players. And I don't know, mean, just the scenario you painted of this player, meeting and having access to all these people, but like, what age are we talking about? when does that start?

Neil Harris
I would say probably 12 upwards would be the majority of what I've just said there really. sort of, the classes, the youth development phase. Pretty young.

Alf Gracombe
Pretty young, pretty young. so,

and obviously with that, they're bringing these resources to bear. These are investments that these clubs are making in these players, right?

⁓ this is maybe a whole podcast episode unto itself is just how these academies are professionalizing and then developing these players, also frankly, developing assets for the club, right? ⁓ To, move on to first teams, if not there to sell them onto somewhere else. But again, yeah.

Neil Harris
And what I would also add there is

that, so when you get to 12 years old or 11 years old, you go to what we call secondary school here. So we have primary school up to ⁓ 11 and then secondary school, you can still be 11 when you start till 16 and then you college and things like that. So these children will also have been at school all day, potentially have had...

to six different teachers maybe five different teachers if there's a double lesson maybe a form tutor, a head teacher, ⁓ catering person. Now all this is really good because you want people you want children to be able to connect and deal with you know having these relationships and from a social perspective and even psychological but for that child that really struggles with that you know they've had they've had school in all day and maybe having to get on a bus or things like that and all of

sudden that you know they're coming in and faced with this volume of people like I say these volume of people that are all in the right place for the sorry I'm doing it for the right reasons and unbelievably outstanding the job but that's my worry and I know a couple of other well a few other coaches that share my thoughts on this that we are just just bringing that professionalism down in my opinion and you know a lot a lot earlier and in my opinion too young too young

Alf Gracombe
Earlier, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, you we're not in the US here, not immune from some of these professional level expectations getting placed on very young players. I don't know if you remember this player, Freddie Adu ⁓ here in the US.

Neil Harris
I met him once actually.

He came over to Carrington, I think somebody was trying to get him in at United. When I can't remember how old he was, so I met him once actually when he was at Carrington.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, he was playing with DC United, doing commercials with Pele, you know, I think he was 14 years old. 14 years old, right? And he was a great player, but he never...

He never got past a certain point. You know, he dropped off the national team at a certain point. He bounced around from club to club and it's, there's a certain, it's, it's sort of a tragic story. I he was a generational talent. it was how it was getting talked about in the US and I know it happens. Yeah. All the time. think we're probably taking our cues from, from the English press when it comes to building young players up. And, but I know there, there are some efforts to protect these players as well. Cause you are seeing, I mean, Max Dowman at Arsenal probably be in the most recent example of just a

15 years old, know, the clubs have a responsibility, I think, to protect these players. I don't know if you're seeing that or if there's conversations around that.

Neil Harris
Yeah, but at the same time like you said before that they're an asset and again a Max Dowman 15 years ago I tell this story a lot so I apologize for people that have listened to me on two or three of these now I remember Danny Welbeck

making his debut for Manchester United scoring on his debut scored a great goal on his debut going to to play a team the next day and the coach was coming up to us and saying where have you got this one from? you know where's this you know another one off the off the production line but we always knew but Danny Welbeck was a tremendous academy player youth player we had really high hopes for him was done really really well played up a little bit and you know so we always knew he was a good player but we knew that internally and maybe England knew it but England games weren't televised there wasn't social media

announced in England squad you'd know within the club if your player was going away on international duty but wouldn't be this social media you know Danny Welbeck now

Because of the goals he scored in under-18s football or youth football, the fans had been clamouring for him to play. This kid came on and scored the goal, with obviously Marcus scoring on his debut. So Marcus was added to the Europa League game versus Midtjylland very late on. And then Anthony Martial got injured in the warm-up. So Marcus started. Marcus had only played, I think, I got this right, a couple of games for the 21s. He mostly played 18s football.

because he was so young and still trying to work out his position a little bit Paul McGuinness had him up as a centre forward for the youth team

and came on scored two on his debut on the Thursday, then played at home against Arsenal on the Sunday, scored two again and that was it, a lift off. But I don't think there was that many people outside of Manchester United or Manchester, maybe a little bit with England, who were that aware of Marcus Rashford really. I'm sure top agents, top scouts would have certainly would have known him like we knew about Owen and Fowler and Foden and things. But I don't think many people would have known about him because again,

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
wasn't that much exposure to social media so the problem is with Max Dowman is you know maybe I don't know what the parents are like I don't know well I'm sure he's got an agent but

pretty sure that Arsenal and you know, knowing Arsenal as a club and an institution as they are, potentially 10, 15 years ago, you know, he wouldn't have had to have played a game. wouldn't have had to have traveled with the first team, even though he was a wonderful talent because playing 18s football at 15 was probably a challenge enough. Playing in the youth club, then 21s football, maybe having a loan, you you go back to the David Beckham loan at Preston and things like Harry Kane, how many loans Harry Kane had before he, you know, he made it.

Alf Gracombe
Mm-hmm.

Neil Harris
obviously stick with Tottenham really so you know I just think that there's would Max Dowman be playing for Arsenal at 15 despite being a wonderful talent I've seen him quite lots of times I've watched him play for England when I've been out scouting I watched him play for Arsenal versus United in the semi-final the Youth Cup last year and he was he was the best player on the pitch he was outstanding so people will know about him but you know would he have been playing 10-15 years ago for Arsenal at 15 ⁓

particularly how good Arsenal are now really without maybe the clamours of social media, maybe parents thinking because agents are obviously feeding them information that they should be in and around the first team by now and also it doesn't do us as coaches a favour, I spoke about this really recently that know a Dowman a Saka, a Mainoo a Rio

Liverpool recently, these are outliers. So yes, they're big outliers. They're really sensational outliers, but they are outliers. So when you're working with youth players and things, and with coaches and parents, we've got to really, really reaffirm that these are outliers. That is not a typical journey.

Alf Gracombe
Right.

Not the

norm, yeah.

Neil Harris
not

that is the norm players can make it in 19, 20, 21, 22 still but sadly again social media and then you know how big the Premier League is is that people think that oh okay if I'm not in the squad at know 17, 18 or 15 with Dowman then you know I'm behind the curve.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it is remarkable, but you're right. It's certainly the exception and a career takes place over a long period of time. I mean, I do wonder like, you know, in 10 years, so Max Downman is going to be 25, which is still, you know, a young player by a lot of standards. ⁓ and so, you know, this

Neil Harris
Walcott was very similar to that wasn't if you remember ⁓ Theo Walcott when he burst on the scene I think again Michael Owen and they did have injury problems you know they did have injury problems that they both retired early you know Wayne Rooney retired ⁓ you know early if you look at the way you know look at Van Dijk at 35, I Salah's 33, Milner you know whatever ages now and things you know and three of our real great English talents and certainly with Rooney you know probably one of the best English talents coming

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
through and as Michael Owen spoke recently you know he was unbelievable for three four years but again you know really really early developers in terms of playing professional football and playing men's football and all retired quite early really and wonderful careers but did retire you know potentially early in terms of know the way the games going now

Alf Gracombe
Yeah. So, you know, back to looking at kids, ⁓ you know, young teens, teenagers, and, and as they are on their own footballing journey and you're coaching kids at this age group, I mean, you're working in academies, professional academies, and you're saying, you know, these are exceptions, like these, these teenage players that are, they're playing at the highest levels, but

You know, these kids see it, right? To your point, social media, everyone's got access to the clips, the reels, and they're seeing when these young players move into these big clubs. But, you know, how, how, do you help kind of manage the psychological side with kids that, you know, this is still developmental, like your orientation? Yeah. Premier league is great to watch. It's great to aspire to, but the day-to-day reality of a young player.

It's a different set of goals. It's a different environment. So how do you as a coach maybe incorporate the modern media landscape and the professional system with the youth development that you see on the field day in and day out?

Neil Harris
Again, going back a number of years, but even as know, I've still worked in last season, with honesty. So you've got to really outline that honesty with the players and the parents in terms of where they're at. But I used to break it down very simply as, can you stay in the building? Can you get the next contract? So in England, it's one year contracts up to 12, then a two year contract 12 to 14, 14 to 16, 16 to 18 when you become a scholar.

So can you get the next contract? You know, that's really all you need to be worrying about as a parent, as a family, as a player. And then just, you know, really stripping it down to, you know, what you're really good at, what's your outstanding quality? How can we make you the best at that, continue to make the best at that, and how can we work on the areas that we need to, relative to your skill set, but also to, you know, maybe the position that we think you're to end up in without obviously pigeonholing you too early.

Obviously there's certain players that you'll know are going to be a defender primarily or potentially a winger or wingers and full backs interchange sometime but a striker who loves scoring goals. ⁓

So really sort of working on that skill set and position specific stuff as and when, when they get to those ages. for me, it's just setting short term goals. know, Manchester United, for example, we used to have the pitches at Carrington where the furthest pitch away was the youngest age. And then every pitch as you got closer and closer and closer, got you closer to the 16s, to the 18s, to the first team. And that used to be the aim and Axel Tuanzebe who plays for Burnley now, played for Manchester United.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
He did an article once on the Manchester United website and was talking about how Neil used to always say that, you know, your objective is to get to there. Your objective is to next year you're going to play in the Med Cup.

you're going to play in the floodlit cup then when you get to there you play in the youth cup and things so set you know set reasonable measurable things for them and you know attainable things that's and really you know exciting things that's still in there you know in there you know and they can see that's tangible really because I think if

coaches and parents get carried away with what's next and always in a race that's where the real problem comes and I am seeing it a lot of time in Academy football now that you know...

I'm seeing certain teams, young teams are playing on a 16s pitch or an 18s pitch. Some players are going really young to a certain tournament and things and I get that. I get if they're a good enough player and best for your best and you know, but there's ways to do that internally within the club. And for me is that once, once you've given it in too early is actually when they arrive at that age group and now it's the norm to be doing what they've just done two years prior, well what's, you know, what's ready for them. So I don't know, Max Downman, I don't know

the family I don't know but if he's now with the first team is he with the first team fully? he a first team player now is that it or he could play under 16s football you know he could play in the youth cup for Arsenal this year you know if Arsenal say we won a good crack at the youth club this year can you play in this or there's an under 19s tournament here prestigious tournament how is that gonna be for him now

his parents, his agent, him to say okay I know you played in the Champions League last week I know you played away at Anfield Old Trafford the other day but we want you to go and play here so

That's the problem and that can happen at 13 if a 13 year old goes away with under 15s or plays on the under 18s pitch or what have you still got left to give them? For me it's the same with tactical information. The best coaches are the coaches that know what comes next but retain that information, withhold that information.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah. Yeah.

Neil Harris
before it gets there because that's the way that you keep them on the hook and keep them tuned in and hungry for it really.

Alf Gracombe
So Neil, one reason I was so excited to sit down and talk with you is how you orient your coaching around individual players. a big part of that, you said the word a few times already is trust and building that trust. I think it goes without saying the more trust you can build with the player, with the family or whoever it may be around him, the more meaningful and impactful you can be as a coach. If you can though, take...

Some tips for some coaches who are listening to this and how ⁓ like kind of we all know it's a good thing get to know these kids as individuals, right? It's not just what's happening on the field, but also off the field, but

Help some coaches out here with some ideas for like, how do you do that? Like, how does that, what does that look like in terms of, you know, day to day on the field, how you communicate with them, how you talk about their own progression, right? These next levels and, and how you make that clear to them and kind of keep them motivated and kind of, it's like big, big kind of open-ended question for you, but, I'm fascinated to hear how you think about communication and trust and relationships.

Neil Harris
Yeah, 100% So for me, have to know about the child first. Forget about the footballer first. You have to understand the child first. What's his background? Is he a one-parent family? Is he separate? Does he spend half his week at different parents' houses? Does he have siblings? Does he have a dog? Who brings him? Does his nana bring him? Does his grandad bring him? Who watches him? Just find out little things that you can.

conversations

and you for me the best conversations and the best learning I ever did with a player was wasn't on the grass it was on coach journeys to games it was walking out to the pitch for training or for games walking afterwards or after a session just just pull them in to a coach's room or bring them in with another coach and just have a chat and things and just find out about you know what have you done today find out by the way when did they have PE so we call it PE I'm not too sure what you call it in the States but

When did they have PE? So if we trained Tuesday, Thursday and they have double PE and cross country and...

their school games are on the same nights we train, well there might be a little bit of a drop off. So a coach that maybe is going, looks tired all the time, doesn't look, well, do you know that, you know, actually this is his, you know, this is his day that is heavy load day. So how can we work around that potentially do, you know, can we have a conversation with school? Can we maybe get him in a different night or, know, until you find ways and means of understanding it. But for me it's...

Alf Gracombe
That's right.

Neil Harris
I'm a massive believer that players don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. That's a massive one for me. And for me, real learning takes place once a kid knows you care about them. Unbelievable learning takes place once a parent knows that you care about their kid. That's where, for me, the holy grail of coach, parent, and players is absolutely vital because that will buy your time. That will buy your time that maybe when...

Stuff isn't going certainly too well for the player and maybe dad or mum are getting a little bit frustrated. Well, the kid can actually back the coach and one who actually told me that I wouldn't be playing today because of this or the mum might say to the dad, well, yeah, but just leave it because we know he's well, we know he's got his best interests at heart because he'll come and tell us. And the big thing is like, I see it a little bit now and...

is how much do coaches actually want to speak to parents now? So I get the feeling that sometimes, know, parents are sort of kept at arm's length. You have to, particularly in the modern game of 2025, you have to include the parents along the journey. Understand and let them know that there's boundaries along the way. But make sure you bring them along the way. I, you know, I would do things that, you know...

car park I'd maybe wait if I knew I needed to speak to a certain parent or player whether it was a positive or a negative potentially you know kick up the backside as we call it in Manchester but I'd watch and I'd wait for them going out to the car and I'd follow them out I'd make it look like I was dropping something in my car or something and I you know I'd talk to them and just say listen

He was brilliant tonight. Everything that we spoke about recently, absolutely fantastic. know, we asked him to play at one touch. He was brilliant. But you knew that. I've already told you that, haven't I, Jonny? And he go, yeah, yeah, yeah. And the dad, the dad's 10 feet tall. He can't get his head through the door because he's just so proud and things. then all the discussion about is in the car is like, oh, that's brilliant, man. He'll phone the mum from the car. Oh, you can't believe Neil's come out and spoke to her. At the same time, don't be afraid to, not confrontation, but to be honest with people, that's how you get used

Alf Gracombe
end.

Neil Harris
you trust and your relationships and you might have said to the player listen you you're messing about a little bit now you know we need to focus on this or you know you you're not really at it at the moment you know you're better than that and things and have a conversation with a player and stuff and then maybe depending on the parent and the player and you've got to know and again why you got to know your players is that conversation might be

I'm really at it tonight again, I would say probably last week he's not been really at it but we're working on it, we're working on things and we've had a chat haven't we Johnny?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, brilliant. He knows what we're gonna do. And if you want to understand a little bit, speak to Johnny, but if you want to grab me on Saturday, just pull me and we'll have 10 minutes about it. So you're not letting a week turn into a two weeks into a month and I call it kicking it down the road, kicking the can down the road because it only escalates, it snowballs and any problems, if you don't nip it in the bud early. ⁓

know they can escalate and things. just having those honest conversations with the players, ⁓ with the parents, making sure that if there are issues, making sure that the full MDT team, your coaching partner is aware of it and things.

that for me is where the real learning takes place, is just where that trust comes in and you're empowering them then, you're empowering them to make their own decisions in terms of not just on the pitch but off the pitch. It might be a lifestyle change, it might be that know they just they mess about in the change room before they come out so they're not focused and you might find something that focuses them a little bit more and pair them up with somebody to do some isolated practice work.

things like that, who's somebody that they need to know what they need to work on. for me, that's the skill and the art of a coach is understanding your player, understanding the background, understanding what's going on in their life. Our parents splitting up is the dad, one of those dads that literally for an hour and a half in the car is giving him information of what he's got to do tonight.

on the way home as you're getting a debrief all the time, well, okay, well, your debriefs are gonna be a little bit better, a little bit different to that kid potentially. We might have some kids who parents don't even watch, so you need to give a little bit more to them. And then I would maybe give them a phone call and just say, listen, just to let you know, he's been fantastic this last couple of weeks. He's doing everything that we've asked. He's a great kid, he gets the gear in. He's really working hard or similar.

Alf Gracombe
And then.

Neil Harris
No, he's been messing about a little bit recently. We've had a conversation and we've said it needs to stop really now. So if there's anything you can do. And then also that might be where you say, well, actually, you know, me and dad are splitting up now or his granddad's just passed away or, you know, his little brother broke his arm last week and we've been at the hospital for three. Unless you know the person.

Alf Gracombe
⁓ Yeah.

Neil Harris
for player, how are you gonna coach them? How are you then able to do, you might be the best coach in the world, and I am definitely not the best coach in the world, 100%, but how are you gonna be able to try and get what out of them on the grass, the stuff if they don't trust you, if you don't know about them, if you don't know what's going on about them.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah, I mean, for me, this is the conversation that's so important in youth football. So much coach training. There's great training out there, right? Every federation has it. It's all on the grass, as you say. This whole other dimension of youth development, youth players, of what's happening between their ears, what's in their heart, confidence and self-image, right? Being so...

in play for well for any human being but particularly young kids right how do you think about keeping that confidence you know high or that self-image positive so that they're ready for the next challenge they want the next challenge but also you know not letting them get too far ahead of themselves or or you know kind of take that in the wrong direction like there's a lot to manage there potentially and and you know how have you experienced this in your coaching

Neil Harris
I think also you you look at something like Mason Greenwood who just an unbelievable talent. James Wilson you know who probably breezed through the Academy years and you have to try and put you know we've put speed bumps or turbulence in it for it because they're that good a player that the game isn't creating enough turbulence and enough speed bumps, road bumps for them. So you might have to manufacture it yourself in terms of playing them up, taking them out of their comfort zone, put them in different environments.

not just not those two players but in general player A, player B or then you might have one that is constantly you know whether it's a less physically developed player you know a late developer or even an know an early mature so I have a big believer that you know early mature is yes

may look great on the eye from a scouts perspective and what if you haven't got the right coach or the right club will push them to the moon but they lose an unbelievable stage of their life in terms of you know playing with their peers but because they are six foot one at 14 ⁓ we've got to be playing them in the under 16s I had this conversation with somebody in my last couple of years and a big boy I think he was a 14 at a time and he said we need to play him up and I'm like no we don't

We don't at all, because he's a baby. He's socially, psychologically a baby. If we play him up, we'll kill him. Oh, but it's too easy for him. Okay, we'll find a way then. We'll find a way internally. Maybe training him up a little bit, maybe one of the coaches will go up with him as he trains, but we'll take two or three other players up with him so we've still got a pair group around him as he's going into there. But there's just that, I wouldn't say lazy coaching and lazy thing, but just like, oh, he's a big player, he's got to play up.

Alf Gracombe
Mm-hmm.

Neil Harris
Whereas actually he needs to probably play in and around smaller players to be able to manipulate. So we used to create a 5v5 program and take him tours to Belgium and Germany. Obviously big believers in the 5v5 program in the winter. you know, those players may struggle then. They might have had the big grass and they've been able to open the legs and run and do things, but maybe their technique has been...

to a detriment for that because it's not been tight and players have not been around them, they've been able to just swap players off. So I say put them in a 5v5, can they deal with the ball under pressure now? Can they deal with it in smaller areas and things? you know, that's where the coach education has got to be for me is that if you've got a late developer, well, okay, well, how can we find the best with him? Maybe we play him down, maybe we train him down, maybe we pick certain games for him, maybe we find a bespoke.

Alf Gracombe
Mm.

Neil Harris
training program and games program for him because we think he's a really, really long-term good player. He's got some good characteristics. And I did a documentary with Scott McTominay for MUTV, the club channel, not long ago before I finished. And that was all about growth and maturation because Scott, alongside Jesse Lingard, would play down. that growth, I hope that it connects.

Alf Gracombe
mean, this is bio-banding, right? The idea of, yeah, yeah. And so generally

you like that. You agree with that idea of, yeah, yeah.

Neil Harris
100%. So

for me, bio-banding is at times is done as a token gesture though. I think everybody believes in it, but I think there's only a couple of times in the calendar that it's done. For me, it needs to be a more ⁓ prevalent thing in terms of more regular, more flexibility in terms of a games program, in terms of a training program.

And you've got to live it. You know, you can't just say okay for a week of the year We're gonna bio band and things like that and then you've got to believe it by the way So if you've got max down and we keep picking max down just because he's the hot topic in the moment But say max is unbelievably technically gifted and has been playing up For you know for the 18s, but this up to the 16s is the the bio banding and his bio banding actually has him down at 14 and a half He's got a play there

Alf Gracombe
you

Neil Harris
Otherwise you're just diluting it straight away if you then say, yeah, he's a good player, so we'll play him there. No, let them grow and things. And what I do see a lot of in the English game is see a lot of athletic players, real athletic players, and they're playing a 21s football or 18s football and they might be 16, 17. And I watch them and I'm like, yeah, they are really, really athletic, athletically ⁓ built. ⁓

So the physical, maybe they've had lot of tactics a lot early on so they can play, they can understand the game and stuff. But technically-wise, you know, they've missed that gap of playing in their own age because they've been rushed and they're playing up. And then socially, can they now deal with it? Because the problem is, is if you're not going to put them in the first team, like Arsenal have, like Liverpool have with Rio, like United do with Mainoo and others in the past, what you going to do?

So if they get to play for the 18s when they're 16 and get to play for the 21s when they're 17, you're going to have to play them in the first team soon because otherwise they're to be playing under 21s football for four years. I guarantee that they're not going to want that because they've had everything so early. You know, they might go on loan potentially, but that means they're still going to be playing men's football at a younger age.

Alf Gracombe
Right.

Neil Harris
Unless we believe that they are going to play in the first team at a very early age and they are a Michael Owen, a Wayne Rooney, why are we rushing them? There are ways and means within the programme to be spoke. Get a Bayern Munich over and say, your best players, Bio-band it. Or bring your best players under 19s, we're going to put our best in. Do the same with Chelsea, with Arsenal, with Liverpool, with United, with City. Just find a way within your training programme.

to do that because we used to do that at United. Those players that I mentioned come through to the first team. There's not many of them that made their debuts really, really, really young, know, 15, 16, 17, you probably 19, 20, you know, go back to your Fletcher's and things like that and stuff. were still in and around it. So we found a way because of parent education, the coaches were really experienced with dealing with that. And obviously Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the best advocates for youth.

Alf Gracombe
Mm-hmm.

Neil Harris
young players ever and yes if you are good enough you're old enough but if we push them too early and potentially we don't think they're going to be a top top player what's next for them if they're in the 21s at 17?

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Yeah. So I've got one more sort of topic I'd like to touch on with you and it relates to this, I think. ⁓ And it's the environment around players and everything from the city they are living in, the culture of the club, whatever it might be. return to some of these players that you've worked with, Scott McTominay, ⁓ Marcus Rashford, ⁓ guys who have moved on to other clubs. ⁓

And there's been some positive change. Antony's another one more recently. All these guys are from Man United. don't know if this is...

Yeah, no longer. Right. And, um, or like, you know, Christian Pulisic, uh, at Chelsea, think he was kind of treading water for years there. And then he moves to Italy, to AC Milan and seems his career has been revitalized. He's playing excellent football. McTominay at Napoli, uh, you know, Rashford's now at Barcelona. That surprised me when I first heard it, but I watched him play. It's like, interesting. Like this is, you know, this is, this is good for him, I think. So you see it a lot, right? A player changes clubs and all of sudden.

With that change comes a different they seem to elevate or they kind of get out of a rut Maybe they got it. I don't know how you understand it, but you know what contributes to that

Neil Harris
I think sometimes if you're a local player coming through for your local clubs obviously Marcus was a Manchester boy, Kobbie obviously there was rumours of potential him moving on late in the window

Alf Gracombe
Yeah, we were talking about him in our

first conversation. He's a brilliant player, but he's not playing. know, he's not getting it.

Neil Harris
Scott, I

think if you're a Manchester player and Scott is, we class Scott at Mancunian, he's Lancaster, near the Lake District, but he's obviously grown up with the area. I think there's a clamour for those players that, know, Manchester United, Liverpool, I think any club really, Everton, certainly Northwest clubs, Northeast with Newcastle, you love having young players and academy players come through.

Alf Gracombe
local players.

Neil Harris
I think the problem is from seeing football is that sometimes is that they then can become the scapegoat very quickly. So not necessarily on ability perspective, but if there is a drop off maybe in, and I'm not saying those players particularly, but if there's a drop off in perceived attitude or perceived work rate, it's then a case of, well, they're a Manchester lad, they're from Liverpool, you know, how can they be like this? You know, they should know what it means to play for the club and things.

But also once you get into that professional environment, it's a job. It is a job. You know, and that's another reason why us as youth coaches, we've got to protect these players and these children from it being a job too early. Cause I do think it's starting to become a job too early now. It's a job when you get to scholars 16 to 18, but it's not really a job, but it is because you are coming into the club every day and doing college work and things, but it's not a job. But when they're in the first team, I think we forget sometimes that

Yes, it was a hobby that they became very, very good at. And we want to, as coaches, we want to instil this lifelong love of football. That's what's absolutely huge. But we've got to make sure that...

that we also recognise that this is now a job with agents, with maybe with wives, with girlfriends, with partners who maybe want to live in a different part, who maybe are from a different part of things. And that's not to say that they shouldn't give everything for the club, but I think sometimes when maybe a player has been two, three years, there's a lot of pressure on that player if they're a local player and they're not maybe...

Performing as well as they've potentially done in the past and maybe moving out of the area You know if you can imagine I imagine it a pop star I don't think there's many pop stars or rock stars that stay living in the same house So Paul McCartney and John Lennon didn't say living in that house for long The band from Manchester Oasis, they didn't stay living in that house for very long They very quickly moved away doesn't mean that they don't love Liverpool don't love London don't love Manchester But it becomes too much and I think potentially the Goldfish Bowl effect and people know

where they're from, who the friends are, everybody's got an opinion. I play football with him, I went to school with him, I dated him ⁓ and I think potentially sometimes you're moving out to a different city, different environment where there's not as many, not hangers-on, but there's people who know you growing up. It maybe releases a bit of that. That's my thought.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

I mean, look at Trent Alexander-Arnold, right?

Like, ⁓ I was brutal. It's crazy to think that, you know, was that fraught him leaving the club because I guess you understand that he's from there and the fans had this expectation, but my God, that was hard to watch. I really felt for him. ⁓ But it's purely because he was from, you know, he's from Liverpool. He grew up in the club. ⁓

Neil Harris
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I forgot about Trent,

you know, and I think that I think the one comes from that is I think if the club can get money for them and they say yeah, we're gonna move on I think with him potentially was the winning the winning the title so they're not you know You look at the Gerrard one how many times Gerrard could have moved on and he didn't albeit it close I think so I think that's that was their expectations of Trent It was that you know, you are you were our next Steven Gerrard who turned down all these overtures and things and I think potentially even on a on a free and

interviews for a year was possible.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah, well, they still got the 10 million, right? Yeah. So I'm

not gonna lean in too hard on this one because I want to keep my Liverpool fans as listeners. But yeah, you can see the pressure and ⁓ like Rashford, like at a certain point, he's like, he doesn't seem to be enjoying playing the way he used to, right? And it's just on a human level, you, to your point, like you want to build lifelong love of football, even professionals playing at the highest level, you want to see him play with a smile on their face.

Neil Harris
Yeah

I

know some players who playing in the Championship, one in the Premier League I spoke to semi-recently back in the last season. One person actually said to me, he's 25 and he's playing in the Championship, has played in the Premier League and he said, I hate football.

And I was like, mate, and he's like, take me back, take me back to the days of Carrington and The Cliff and stuff. said, you know, it's just a job now, it's just an expectation. And, you know, I think at times the way the game's going, you know, for me it's a coach's game now, it's not a player's game. 100%, we need to wrestle it back.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Yeah, you worry about that,

Neil Harris
got to wrestle it back and it's got to be a players game and a fans game obviously as well but I think very much now it's a coaches game. There's very very few times I'm off my feet you know these days at any level you know even at academy level now it's very very prescribed game model game methodology type stuff at a very young age.

problem is the managers aren't there long enough so unless you are a a Wenger a Ferguson an Arteta, a Klopp

Ferguson obviously, you know, it's who's gonna who's gonna have the time to to put a methodology and that's where we were very fortunate United that we were entrusted to to work on an individual program It was about individuals trying to get individuals into the first team trying to get individuals into professional football and you know, we were very proud of that our record with players into the first team, but also our record with you know, with the players still playing You know the game and making a good living out of the game

and we were never told to do up to a certain point, up to recently, it's about methodology and we want to build up this way and we want to play this way. Ours was all about, we wanted to play fast, expansive football with width and height and obviously, dominate games when we can, but get the ball forward quickly, but with quality.

wasn't ever we're gonna build up here in a a in a 2-3-1 and things like that and I'm seeing it now I'm seeing it under 13s under 14s I was I saw a game the other day and I saw that the players have been given a presentation they've had a presentation and it had been sent home and one of the parents showed it me and this was an under 14 game I started a season so a couple of months ago was a month ago

And so these players are 13 years old and it had in possession tactics, out of possession tactics, set pieces for, set pieces against. And I just, I felt like crying. I was just like, no, that's just for you as a coach. That's not for the players. You're not helping the players there. You know, individual tactics at this stage, not team tactics, individual tactics.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Yeah.

I think what you just said, I mean, again, we got a lot of grassroots coaches that listened to this podcast. And I think that's such an important point that you just made. I mean, you're making this point at the professional academies, right? But, you know, I did a coach training last night and that's one of the things we say, this is, this is their game. It's not your game. You know, you're, you're a coach, you're a problem setter. You're not a problem solver. You're not going to architect, you know.

the game model or the formation for a group of U10s, right? Just let them play. Like at the end of the day, if you're just letting them play, letting them have an experience to learn how to solve problems out on the field and you're just creating that environment for them, that's half, more than half the battle right there.

Neil Harris
Yep.

So I said to on something recently I said, and I was quite delivering some coach education. think it was about 90 grassroots coaches, Academy coaches, couple of first team coaches actually there when I did it. And I just said, if any time you are doing a session and the session is for you or for parents, I think I said the audience and not for the kids, then get out because you're just in the wrong game. you are, if you are, if you were putting a session on for yourself or for the

audience

then just get out because if your session isn't dictated for the players and the age group specifically so age group appropriate that you're working for and it's something that is challenging, fun, with high support so I'm a massive believer in high support high challenge that's how you can work with better players and also get other players up to levels that we want them to get them to you know it's got to be just challenging, fun, progressive

you know, making game decisions, but they're making game decisions. You know, if you're shouting, shoot, shoot, pass, pass, how are they gonna come up with their own game decisions? If you're prescribe how they're gonna play out from the back. So again, recently I had some things and somebody said to me, we're gonna work on this playing out from the back. being the disruptor that I am, I said, no, I'm not gonna do that. Cause I don't believe in it.

said they don't need a set way of ⁓ being able to build out from the back but individually they all are gonna know by a certain point in the season or whenever how to receive the ball to a back foot how to step in how to take the outside of the foot how to do a no touch turn how to get in position to be able to play forward so are you able to think forward play forward run forward you know am I able to play through around and over okay well if I've if I've had enough repetitions of that both as a

as an individual isolated practice, am I technically proficient enough to carry out this stuff and do I understand when and where I should do it? I'm ⁓ not telling them how they should play out from the back.

If I'm playing 11 V 11, if my centre halves know how to receive the ball with the right weight, if a centre half and a goalkeeper knows how to play the ball with the right weight, with the right technique, with the right message on the pass that allows them to take to the back foot and step through, brilliant. If he knows it's a little bit short, so I'm gonna have to bounce back to my keeper, brilliant.

Do you know the difference between a bounce and a set? That's the type of stuff that you should be learning. Am I able to, know, I'm able to, if they're coming on tight for me, have I got the technical proficiency to clip a ball over? Have I got technical proficiency to whip a ball around on a one bounce so we can take out, you know, at knee ankle height? They're the things that we should be teaching them. If you are wasting, I say wasting time, I'm not trying to be one of those old coaches who says that, but if you are...

delivering the, if you've got an hour session or an hour and a half session and...

Half an hour of that, he's trying to get players into a formation and a position to receive and tell him where you want him to play it, where you want somebody else to be stood, then you're killing them. You're maximising the full hour or hour and a half you should be having with those children in terms of developing them individually. And then you can work on pairs. You work on them individually. you good enough to strike that ball with your laces? Are you good enough to strike that

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
that ball locking your ankle off two feet, two touch work. Then you can work into pair so you have two centre halves working, you have maybe a full back and a winger. But you know, you can have certain drills that work on the technique side of things but then your drill has got to progress into some form of decision making and some form of progressiveness that, okay, well what now?

and then I'm a massive believer of what ifs so okay if that ball's gone there and that's now blocked because they've cut it there well what if now I don't want to say to you

Well, okay, well if they do block that off, I want us to play through here into here and we'll draw them in and stuff. I want you to individually know that, okay, if I've not been pressed, I can step through and break the lines with my touch. I can maybe play the ball whilst I've got good possession. Or if I am being pressed, well, okay, I might need to step in and step in front of them. I might need to make a run off the back of him or I get it and I bounce back into the keeper and then make a different position or run away. The full back knows, well, okay, well I can come and get it then.

If you're not maximising your time talking about those type of things and delivering those type of sessions then in my opinion, and it is only my opinion and my experience is that you're not gonna get the best use of those players for that maximum of time you've got them.

Alf Gracombe
Well, Neil, it may be your opinion, but it's an opinion grounded in years and years of being on the pitch with these young players. So ⁓ I appreciate your time. feel like we could go another hour or two even. So I really appreciate your time. before we wrap it up, I do want to ask you a few more questions, but these are going to be quick. I want your answers to be quick. This is my lightning round.

Neil Harris
Yeah, yeah. OK. As

you've noticed, they don't usually answer questions quick, so this might be a bit of a challenge, but I'll try.

Alf Gracombe
This is going to, listen, this is going

to be, this might be a challenge, so it's up to you. Don't worry. There's, I'm not going to gong you off the stage or anything if you're still talking. All right. So a few questions for you. Here we go. ⁓ Who is one of the most skilled, technically skilled young players that you've worked with and what specifically was so impressive about?

Neil Harris
please. I'm sure your listeners and your viewers will want me gung-doff.

I usually say Ravel Morrison, who people might have to Google, played for Manchester United first team in West Ham, think he came over to Mexico, played in Chivas, and probably Mason Greenwood. And I would say for them, it was probably the ability to be able to go both ways, two-footed. ⁓

pace, power, but just really clever in terms of the way that they pick up the ball. I love ball carriers. I love people who pick up the ball and can go both ways, make late decisions. You know, again, definitely street footballers, Mavericks, we'll call them. But obviously I'd be very fortunate to work with lots of players, but I would probably pick out those two from my time at the academy. There's a couple more young ones that maybe if we revisited this in... ⁓

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
18

months, two years, you might know their names so possibly we might revisit that.

Alf Gracombe
Okay. Well,

that's why I said one of the best. didn't want to hear just the best because I know you probably got many to pick from. ⁓ But here I do want the best. What's the best piece of coaching advice you've ever gotten?

Neil Harris
⁓ Probably person before player. Probably person before player. And you know, it's not a race and both of those were off Tony Whelan

Alf Gracombe
Tony Whalen, not surprised. What was your biggest coaching mistake and what did you learn from it?

And maybe there's multiple, so pick one.

Neil Harris
Probably, yeah,

I was probably trying to do everything, trying to do everything. you know, I actually feel, know, say my son's a young coach now, he's 24, and there's so much information available for coaches now, know, podcasts like this, know, analyst shows.

social media sessions, one-to-one coaching, small group coaches. So probably there's so much information and I would probably say for me similar really is trying to read as many books and tactical books and then know cramming it down. But I would also say one of my biggest things which I'm really trying to address now is also writing my sessions down. So they're all in there and they're all in the heart and you know like I said I was in San Francisco last week and you do you go to your playbook you go to your ones and stuff and then

Alf Gracombe
Mm-hmm.

Neil Harris
when I'm on the grass a lot of stuff happens for me. struggle to write sessions down so if you asked me now to come up with a session I'd have a basic outline but I would probably say that I would struggle to write the sessions down but then when I'm out on the grass I'm definitely more I think it's a sort of audio visual kinesthetic type coach in terms of stuff comes to me then so I would probably say be better at evaluating and be better at getting your sessions down on paper following a session but it's busy I know.

Alf Gracombe
Fantastic.

All right. Who's a professional manager that you most admire ⁓ or look to as a source of inspiration and why?

Neil Harris
think the easy one would obviously be obviously Sir Alex given you know what he did as a a man manager I think Jürgen Klopp very very similar as a man manager

I love Ancelotti, I think the way he's adapted his game from being a very strict, being under Arrigo Sacchi and his Milan teams, Juventus teams and think if you look at his Real Madrid teams, obviously he had some decent plays in there and his Paris teams and it'll be interesting how he does at Brazil and things but I do like the way he's evolved as well in terms of it's the game, let them do their things and it's very subtle the stuff he did whereas I think he's

Alf Gracombe
It helps. That helps, yeah.

Neil Harris
about that when he was obviously a very young coach within Italy and it was very structured and ⁓ a bit more prescribed really so I'd probably say Ancelotti of the the Lace coaches book certainly you know Klopp and Mourinho I loved Arrigo Sacchi's book read that recently as well

Alf Gracombe
⁓ I know it's your lightning round, but you said Ancelloti and he's also one of my favorite managers and exactly for the reasons that you said, you know, coming out of a more structured tradition of Italian coaching, but something I was reading just a couple of seasons ago when he was with Real Madrid and he, it was during the game and he was basically kind of letting the players are asking the players to help.

solve the problem on the field or like even like what sub should we make here and it was almost this very like this dialogue with players that I found fascinating which I think runs counter to how a lot of managers at that level operate.

Neil Harris
think he very rarely, and again obviously he's worked at some fantastic clubs, but he very rarely loses his temper on the touchline and I do think there's something for that and I think just to bring that back into the youth game and certainly the Premier League now you see it that I was always very much a coach that you know I wanted to you know the game day was the players reward day for their work that they put in during the week and it was very much about you know letting them

you get caught up every now and again, of course you do, whether it's a referee, whether it's a coach, whether it's a decision. But trying to let the players play on the pitch, let them make their own decisions and I think for him to do that at the highest level, I think there was a game at City at the Etihad where I they'd gone a couple of goals down and I think even the commentators were saying, is he going to make any changes? He seems very calm and things and I think they drew it back to 2-2 and I think they won at the Bernabeu at the time.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

That's the

game, yeah. That was the game, yeah.

Neil Harris
That was the game I think, and Benzema

scored that one. It was just like, you're just so calm and just let the players play. Again, it helps if you've got Benzema, Vinicius and Mbappe I'm sure. But yeah, I think people, people haven't read his book, definitely I would say read his book as well. That's an excellent book.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah. ⁓

Yeah, yeah. Great. Last question for you. Who's going to win the Premier League this year?

Neil Harris
I probably seen Liverpool and Arsenal. I think Liverpool have had a good start. I think Arsenal will be there or thereabouts. I think...

It'll be interesting how Isak plays with them, whether he moves to the left, whether Ekitike moves to the left. think Wirtz is just starting to get warm. I think not getting Guehi will be a disappointment to them because I think that would have allowed them to rest the 35 year old Virgil van Dijk at times. Obviously they lost Quansa

who I think is a good player to Leverkusen. I don't think they really replaced him. Obviously, you've got the young Italian boy who's come in who I know has been with the national team this weekend and looks a big unit and looks a good player, but the Premier League is a different beast. So I'd say on paper Arsenal look very, very strong. I think Liverpool might just nick it.

City, you don't know, I think there are ⁓ some issues there but I think there's a bit of bedding in and I'm not too sure over a couple of players that they've brought in and just as it's popped up here, think Marmoush's got injured for Egypt so I'm not too sure whether that's a bad one because I think he's a good player as well so I think a betting man would say certainly those three but I think possibly Liverpool and Arsenal just have a little bit more than City this year.

Alf Gracombe
Mm.

Yeah.

Yeah,

I mean, think it's interesting because I mean, I'm an Arsenal supporter and this is, feel the first year where they've actually got like really two, players in each position, something Liverpool's had for a while. I think something that, you know, City has had for sure. It will be interesting to see how all these teams manage the talent they have. I they all spent big, they brought in a lot of players and these are guys that want minutes, right? So how do they manage that? It's a long season. They're going to be competing in multiple tournaments. So, you know, we'll see, but

Neil Harris
think going

back to what you said there and what I sort of maybe alluding to and who am I and I'm certainly not going to cast dispersions on Arteta but I think if you look at the mannerisms between Arteta and Slot as a player, as a professional footballer, an international player who's worked every single session during the week

Would I want to see my manager kicking every ball, racing up and down the touch line, appealing for everything, or would I want my manager to be a little bit calmer and sort of maybe look like they place a little bit of trust in me, a la Klopp. And obviously if you think about Ferguson, Ferguson used to stay in the dugout for a long, time. back in the 90s used to be up in the directors' box watching the game, maybe for half of the game. And Mike Phelan or Brian Kidd or Steve McLaren would obviously

Alf Gracombe
Mm-hmm.

Neil Harris
do the touchline thing so it did alright for him and I don't think Wenger was a ranting or a raver and maybe at the referee a couple of times but I don't think he ranted or raved at his players and I just think sometimes potentially there's a lot of pressure on Arsenal's players maybe from the touchline as well that may sometimes just stop that little bit of an edge maybe going on. But I'm not wanting to listen, he's working at the top top level, just my opinion.

Alf Gracombe
Listen, yep, no, I agree. Yeah.

This has come up many times on this podcast is like the mannerisms of coaches on the touch line and like, you know, at the youth game, we're always telling our coaches, Hey man, just relax over there. Like talk to your players on the bench, you know, but you don't need to be involved like that. And, you know, I love Arsenal, I think Arteta is a wonderful manager, but, but yeah, I don't, I don't like that either. I don't think he needs to do that. You know, I appreciate his passion, but is it helpful? You know, I don't, I wouldn't say I'm not going to say it is.

Neil Harris
Nah, I don't.

I can imagine

he does a lot of work and training during the week and he's very intense during that and I think the players like him, I the players play for him. I don't think there's any reason why he can't be a little bit different on the touchline and I think that may rub off a little bit to some of the players and I think also with the fans as well, I think...

It potentially gets the fans a little bit angst up at times when maybe actually you just think what a wonderful football team that they are. know, they've some wonderful footballers, probably the best squad they've had since the Overmars Vieira Bergkamp era. So just let them play, just let them go and play the football that they know they're going to be able to play.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

And these games are decided by the smallest of margins. mean, this Liverpool Arsenal game was a perfect example, but maybe it was that Liverpool players a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more feeling like this is their game to win. that made the difference. And it was a piece of gin.

Neil Harris
Yeah.

I think.

If you

look at the Liverpool game, tuning up at Newcastle away, Newcastle had a player sent off, you think you've got to see the game out. Obviously they get it back to 2-2, you know, when he brings on a 16 year old at the time. You know, what does that say to you players and to him is like, you know, 62,000 St James's Park who were baying for blood, you know, with obviously the Isak stuff and things, it was a, you know, and he goes and puts the kid on from there. That for me as a, you know, as a player and a manager and a fan, you're wow, and I don't,

remember but I don't think he was running a raving slot when they went to you know 2-0 to 2-2 and he put on I think Elliot and Rio and I'm only saying Rio because I can't pronounce his surname but I think that's what he's got on the back of his shirt but you know the trust that he placed in his players from that you know how big that will be for him going forward I don't think he's played since that Rio but you know when he's away with England this week on duty I saw today so you know

Alf Gracombe
Yeah.

Neil Harris
that's given the player and also the players think well we you know the manager trusts it here and also if you're not playing well you're getting hooked off I think he took off a couple of experienced players I he took off Wirtz for Rio you know 100 million player and so you know adjusting that trust that the manager gives there going back to our trust and relationships thing is is absolutely huge

Alf Gracombe
Yeah, I mean, he's been a little flat, frankly. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. No, I think that brings it full circle. ⁓ Absolutely. Just thinking about your role as a coach and how your players are seeing you and what you're projecting your posture, your mannerisms on the touch line, on the training pitch, like all of that counts for a lot, counts for a lot at every level of the game. Every level. Yeah.

Neil Harris
100%. Every level. Grassroots

all the way up to the first team.

Alf Gracombe
100%.

Neil, it's been an absolute pleasure. I'm so glad we got to sit down and chat. Very grateful for your time. So thank you very much. ⁓ yeah, any parting words for our audience of coaches here listening?

Neil Harris
No, if you want to, I'm sure you put me on the socials, but if you want to follow me on the socials, I'm on LinkedIn and Instagram. I'm not a TikToker yet. I didn't have LinkedIn and Instagram when I was at United, but I've come off there now and it's been a wonderful opportunity to connect with, obviously, my old players, my old parents, but with other coaches as well. know, being on here has obviously allowed me to connect and come abroad, like I say, Tampa, Chicago and San Francisco. And I'm sure there'll be many more visits to the States next year as well as other parts of the world.

Alf Gracombe
Yeah,

we're going to try to get you to Boston at some point. So, all right. Yeah.

Neil Harris
I've been to Boston, I was there with Boston

once for United, I did enjoy it.

Alf Gracombe
All right, well, hopefully we can make it happen. And yeah, just wonderful to chat. Thanks again for your time. Yeah, check out Neil on social, a lot of great content for coaches that he's got and yeah, enjoy the rest of your day, Neil. Appreciate your time. All right, cheers.

Neil Harris
Appreciate you having me on. Cheers.

Alf Gracombe
That was just an incredible conversation with Neil Harris, I think we touched on some fundamental truths about youth development that every coach really needs to hear. Getting insights from someone who spent over two decades at Manchester United's academy working with players like Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Kobbie Mainoo, it gives us a rare window into what really matters in player development, and a few key takeaways that I think will stick with me from our conversation. First,

Neil's central philosophy that, quote, players don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. I just love that quote. This isn't just a nice saying, it's the foundation of everything that he does. His approach of genuinely getting to know each player as a person first, ask about their siblings, their pets, their family situations, who brings them to training. That's where the real coaching relationships begin. And those relationships are what allow for honest feedback and meaningful player development.

Second, Neil has some concerns about how youth football is becoming over-professionalized too early. And that really hit home for me. When Neil talks about 13 year olds receiving tactical presentations with in possession tactics, out of possession tactics, set pieces for and against, you can hear the frustration in his voice. His point that if your session is for you or the parents watching rather than for the kids, then you should get out. I think that's a reality check every youth coach needs to hear. And a part of our conversation that I thought was so compelling were his insights about trust and honest communication. The way Neil would wait by the car park or catch parents for quick conversations, how he'd address issues head on rather than kicking the can down the road, as he said, these are practical strategies that any coach can use to build stronger relationships with players and with families. And the core message I'm taking away is that coaching youth players is fundamentally about human development first, football development second. Yes, you need to know your stuff technically, but if you don't understand and care about the young person in front of you, none of that technical knowledge matters. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on CoachCraft.