I didn’t want to leave home when the FA National School of Excellence called. I was hesitant. I was comfortable. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
The purpose of the FA National School of Excellence was simple: develop future England internationals. I trained every day alongside players who would go on to represent the country at the highest level — Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, and Wes Brown among them.
We trained before school or after lessons. Weekends meant fixtures against professional academies, international travel, and elite tournaments. The environment was demanding, focused, and structured.
A Structured High Performance Development Environment
What made it powerful wasn’t just the football.
The academic framework mattered. Being away from home removed excuses. Study sessions were built into the schedule. Expectations were clear. I had to focus. My exam results improved because discipline was embedded into the week.
Training followed the same logic. Sessions had purpose. Physical preparation was managed carefully. Standards were consistent. We were taught how to prepare, how to recover, how to think, and how to behave. We understood why we trained the way we did.
There was alignment across everything — football, school, preparation, conduct. That consistency shaped my habits and my understanding of what serious development requires.
National-Level Soccer Academies: England, France, and the U.S.
The FA National School of Excellence existed within a small group of national development models built with the same intent. France’s INF Clairefontaine was designed to produce future French internationals. In the United States, U.S. Soccer Bradenton Residency once served a similar purpose for elite American players.
Different countries. Same objective.
Create the right environment to support long-term, national-level development.
That experience shaped me — not just as a player, but as a person.
I was immersed in a professionally run, high-performance environment. Training was structured. Physical preparation was managed intelligently. Standards were clear and consistent. We were taught how to prepare, how to focus, and how to carry ourselves. There was clarity across everything we did.
It built discipline. It built accountability. It built perspective.
The NCE School of Excellence in New Jersey
For years, it has been my ambition to recreate that standard in the United States.
Through the NCE School of Excellence, in collaboration with Saddle River Day School in northern New Jersey, we will deliver an environment built on those same principles.
Coaching will be deliberate and development-focused.
The games programme will be meaningful and challenging.
Physical development will be managed appropriately.
Preparation, recovery, and accountability will be taught.
Psychological and social growth will align with the NCE Performance Profile.
Academic structure will reinforce discipline beyond the field.
This will not be about shortcuts.
It will be about building the right environment — one that integrates education and performance and supports long-term growth.
I was fortunate to experience that standard at a young age.
Not every player needs this type of environment. But for those who do, it can be transformative.
Now we intend to provide that standard here.
