Stephen Torpey (Brentford FC Academy Director) has been in Premier League Academies for over 16 Years! He tells us how he continues to develop high-performance players and teams:
Over the previous ten years at Manchester City, and before that, I worked in a range of different age groups at Liverpool Football Club in a number of coaching capacities. I have known about Football Flick for almost a decade. From the moment I started work at Manchester City Academy, it was something really useful that complemented our programme. I remember reaching out to the team about the first Urban Flick, and we used that equipment within the academy system for a number of years. It was something we worked with around our aerial control and touch work, and it proved to be very useful.
Why Is Training At Home Important?
The fact that the equipment allows players to gain a high number of repetitions is amazing. That is so important when you are looking to develop a technical level. It’s also very relevant to certain positional play, which is key for us. Whenever you want to improve something, it needs to be realistic and fit for the area of the field you’re playing in. The equipment certainly does that. Receiving from the air is such an important part of the game, especially when playing at the highest level in tight spaces. Having a high technical level is essential to performing in the Premier League, where these qualities are absolutely crucial.
Does Flick Compliment a Train at Home Regime?
If you want to excel at anything, you need to put in more work and more focus than others. Your individual training must complement what is being done at the club. That’s vital. The work you do away from the football club should align with what you’re doing within it. But it’s not always easy for families and parents to create those training opportunities. Having apparatus that allows players to go out into a space with a ball and train on their own is really important. The more you can practise and go through training exercises, improving your touch and feeling for the ball, the more beneficial it is for developing a higher technical level.
“If it complements the programme, which this equipment does, then it can only be beneficial.”
What Benefits Have You Seen To Players Using Flick?
First and foremost, we want to develop smart players—players who can adapt and make an impact in games. This can be achieved in many ways. Some players excel physically, while others have exceptional vision and game intelligence, displaying excellent tactical awareness. But every single player at the highest level needs to have excellent technical proficiency. At the Premier League level, small spaces, incredible pace, and the high-pressure environment demand players to make techniques second nature. The more players can practise these skills and embed them in their game, the more they can focus on other aspects like tactical and mental decisions during matches. This is a significant benefit that the Football Flick brand provides—it gives players the opportunity to practise on their own and improve their technical competence.
Would You Recommend Flick To Other Coaches?
The equipment has been hugely beneficial to us as a club and to our players. It has allowed them to gain more opportunities for high-quality practice. Within our academy, the results we’ve had are due to many facets of the programme, and Football Flick equipment has been an important complementary element. Our youth players use this equipment regularly, and many of their family members have even purchased it for home use. It helps players train effectively outside of the club environment. If it complements the programme, which this equipment does, then it can only be beneficial.
