056: The England Goalkeeper DNA with Tim Dittmer

The Head of Goalkeeping for England’s massively influential Football Association has a wide range of duties and responsibilities. In that role, Tim Dittmer lends his expertise to the England National Teams at both senior and youth level, men and women. The FA also governs the Premier League and the FA Cup, as well as coaching education all the way down to grassroots.

In today’s episode, Tim talks about the FA’s overarching approach to goalkeeper development and some of the services they offer, both in-person and online. For those who can’t make it to St. George’s Park or a regional FA course, a variety of resources are available in the Boot Room, including insight and specific sessions from Tim himself.

Tim also goes into depth on the five key characteristics of the England Goalkeeper DNA. We discuss the importance of physicality, in being robust and having a presence – but not necessarily great size. He breaks down the technical and tactical pillars, with a pronounced emphasis on distribution, game management, and an understanding and recognition of space on the pitch. Finally, he addresses the social and psychological demands of goalkeeping, and advises that goalkeeper training should be uncomfortable, just as games situations are uncomfortable.

It’s a dense 45 minutes, and Tim holds nothing back in terms of advice for aspiring players and coaches. I hope you enjoy it.

Special thanks to Tim Dittmer for joining me!