Keepers Corner: Developing Goalkeeping UK meets Shrewsbury Town’s Steve Arnold

(Picture: Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport)

This week, Developing Goalkeeping UK speaks to Shrewsbury Town keeper Steve Arnold.

What do you feel Non-League goalkeepers need to do to get into the Football League?
Steve Arnold: For me I strongly believe that performing consistently is the key to moving up the goalkeeping pyramid. Let’s say we grade it one to ten. There would be no point in getting a nine out of ten and for the next few weeks you get three or four out of ten. The other thing I feel, in order to get you noticed, is to be an extremely positive communicator.
How do you deal with the constant battle of trying to earn yourself a contract year-in year-out particularly with a young family?
SA: It’s very, very tough and I have found the older I have got the harder it has become. So for example when you’re 19 or 20 and you’re just trying to start out your career money, doesn’t mean every think to most people as you have the support network of your parents.
As I have got older trying to buy houses and committing to mortgages, it has put a lot more pressure on me performing to earn another contract.
I was playing at Stevenage at 23 maybe 24, I got a bad injury and I was out of contract and all I could think about was what do I do next. No one really wanted to touch me knowing I had a long-term injury and being out of contract really put me on edge, not knowing where to turn next. It was hard but I got myself back into the game and started to focus on making consistent performances.
What other things would you say that goalkeeping has brought to your life?
SA: I would say timekeeping as this is something I had to really focus on while playing for Wycombe.
I remember getting in every day with ten minutes spare and saving money in my pocket from handing out a fine for being late. But after leaving Wycombe, I had realised that I needed more mental time to prepare myself for the day ahead of training.
Now I get myself into Shrewsbury about 45 minutes to an hour early so I can go in the gym have breakfast and start preparing in the right way. Timekeeping has made me a better person as I give myself more time to prepare and also for what ever walks of life that it’s effected me in a real positive way.
Goalkeeping tip of the week from Martin Brennan at DGUK:
“For the many years I have been a goalkeeping coach one of the biggest things I have learnt about goalkeeping is consistent performances are the key to a successful goalkeeper.
“If I was to scout for a goalkeeper now I would be looking for someone who could give me a 7.5 out of 10 over the entire season. Giving a 9.5 out of 10 one week and then a 4 out of 10 in the following week will tend to see you dropped from the starting 11.
“I believe a way to monitor this is to try and keep your game as a goalkeeper as simple as possible with very limited risks.
“For example: a shot comes in and you make a decision whether to catch or parry. A cross comes in and you make a decision whether to come and deal with it or back off and protect your goal.
“Of course there is lots of small elements to these decisions but try to prevent yourself asking too much of yourself.
“If receiving a back pass, to keep this very simple, do you take a touch and pass or do you pass the ball first time long up the pitch. Taking a touch then another touch then doing a drag back for me this is now potentially going to cause some confusion and the opportunity for a opposition player to close you down.”

Consistent goalkeeping performances are key to climbing the goalkeeping pyramid.

If you would like to hear more of what Steve Arnold had to say then click the link below for the full podcast…
http://www.developinggoalkeepinguk.com
The Goalkeeping Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-goalkeeping-podcast/id1348402331?mt=2
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For a FREE copy of the DGUK HANDBOOK please follow this link: https://developinggoalkeepinguk.lpages.co/freedgukgoalkeepinghandbook/
DGUK is a goalkeeper academy owned by Martin Brennan, a former first team goalkeeper coach at Fulham, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient, that offers professional and semi-professional goalkeepers the chance to prepare for the new season with pre pre-season training camps.
There are also camps for college and university goalkeepers who are trying to reach the Non-League game and weekly group sessions and 2-to-1 sessions throughout the week.