American inventor Thomas Edison famously said: "Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration."
West Ham’s Academy director Tony Carr believes young footballers should imprint this quote on their brain.
The man, who helped develop the talents of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole, is adamant innate ability is not enough – budding young footballers need hunger and dedication to make it.
Carr singled out Lampard for special praise – pinpointing the Chelsea midfielder’s work ethic as his X-Factor.
“He’s a great example of a having a real strong mental approach to football,” said Carr.
“He would not let anything get in his way, he wanted to get to the top and he worked day and night at improving his game.”
The coach also has an important part to play – building confidence, developing mental strength and helping players deal with injury setbacks.
In this video Carr unloads his wealth of knowledge on sculpting the psychological strength of a rising star.
Also see:
Tony Carr: Dealing with a step up in class
Tony Carr: Create a super sub
Tony Carr: Score from a corner
