An exploration of the coach-player relationship in performance football environments in England and its integration into formal coach education

Newland, A (2026) An exploration of the coach-player relationship in performance football environments in England and its integration into formal coach education. Doctoral thesis, Liverpool John Moores University.

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Abstract

The coach-player relationship (C-P) is central to effective coaching and can engender a myriad of positive benefits to both the coach and the athlete. The development of high-quality C-P relationships has been positively associated with athlete motivation (Riley & Smith, 2011), the motivational climate (Avci et al., 2018), mental health (Ogden et al. 2023), well-being (Gosai et al, 2023), team cohesion (Jowett & Chaunder, 2004), collective efficacy (Hampson & Jowett, 2014) and performance (Phillips et al., 2023). However, coach development courses have been criticised for failing to provide sufficient coverage of this phenomenon in their curricula. Therefore, study one (chapter 4) in this thesis seeks to explore what knowledge, relating to the C-P relationship, is integrated into the curriculum of the English Football Association (FA) Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) A and B Licence courses. It does so by drawing on the perspectives of FA coach developers who design and deliver the courses. Semi-structured interviews were completed with nine experienced FA coach developers (9 male) alongside a document analysis of seven key course documents. Data was analysed through an inductive thematic analysis and five themes were generated; 1.) Coach developers understand the C-P relationship is built on trust, care and adaptive interpersonal approaches. 2.) The triad of knowledge impacts on the C-P relationship, not just interpersonal knowledge. 3.) The C-P relationship is not meaningfully addressed in the formalised course content. 4.) In situ visits provide an effective medium to develop knowledge of the C-P relationship. 5.) The assessment framework does not align with the formalised course content. Findings demonstrate that the C-P relationship is introduced in a superficial manner in FA UEFA A and B Licence Courses, despite forming an integral part of the assessment framework.
The research moves beyond deconstructing existing curricula to reconstruct and identify the C-P relationship knowledge that could be incorporated into formal coach education courses to prepare coaches to operate effectively in performance-based football settings in England. A rigorous multivocal approach is used to explore the perceptions of coach developers, coaches and athletes. Therefore, in the second study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven coaches (9 male and 2 female) who were sampled to represent a broad range of roles within professional first team, international and youth development positions within the men’s and women’s game in England. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis generated the following five themes; (1) An incongruence between the importance of the C-P relationship and its prominence in coach education (2) Interpersonal competencies and a progressive approach to the C-P relationship (3) Understand the unique needs of high-performance athletes (4) Build a culture conducive to high-quality C-P relationships. Findings provide further evidence that the C-P relationship is underrepresented in the main English FA Coaching Pathway and provides insights into the knowledge that could be incorporated into courses to meet the needs of coaches.
Importantly, study three (chapter 6) explores the athlete’s perspective, a viewpoint that is typically underrepresented in coach education research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight male and female (4 male and 4 female) professional athletes who currently play, or have played, at the highest levels in club football including, the English Premier League, Women’s Super League, and senior England internationals. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis generated the following five themes; (1) The C-P relationship matters (2) Self-awareness and clear values: The cornerstone of relationship building (3) The sweet spot: Balancing listening, guiding, and challenging (4) The interrelated nature of relationships and culture (5) Managing conflict within a highly micropolitical environment. Findings demonstrate that athletes positioned the C-P relationship as central to coaching effectiveness and believed that it should be an integral element of coach education curricula which sought to prepare coaches for performance football settings. Findings also provide important insights into the knowledge that could be incorporated into courses to meet the needs of coaches.
Overall key findings demonstrate the C-P relationship is not meaningfully addressed in the FA UEFA A and B course content, despite this facet of coaching being unanimously held in high regard, and perceived as central to effective coaching practice, by coach developers, coaches and athletes. Based on the findings across the three studies a set of first principles are developed, which require further research, but provide a starting point for understanding the knowledge coaches require to effectively develop and maintain C-P relationships: 1.) Clear personal values and beliefs that anchor consistent behaviours, enabling coaches to maintain relationships despite the rigours of performance football. .2.) Communicate clear expectations across large squads to enhance role clarity and co-construct expectations where appropriate. 3.) Maintain open and consistent individualised dialogue with players, particularly during periods of challenge such as loss of form or deselection. 4.) Understand and be responsive to players’ broader life context, providing support to help them navigate the demands of performance football. 5.) Identify and meet player needs by balancing the coach’s professional perceptions with the players’ voiced needs. 6.) Ensure the relationship is rooted in high challenge and accountability, while ensuring an individualised, sustainable, and ethical approach. 7.) Use professional knowledge to establish credibility and connection in a highly demanding environment .8) Understand the impact of culture on the C-P relationship within performance football settings and influence it to cultivate high-quality C-P relationships. 9.) Engage in constructive conflict resolution approaches in a relationally complex and highly micropolitical environment. This extends the existing literature as, rather than focusing on the characteristics of high-quality C-P relationships, instead it provides a basis by which to understand the knowledge coaches require to develop and maintain high quality C-P relationships in practice. This is particularly pertinent given these principles derive from research contextualised within a specific sport and domain. This is in contrast to previous literature which has produced generic models developed across a variety of sports and coaching domains. The thesis produces a set of first principles for coaching practice to support the development of high-quality C-P relationships within the performance football domain in England. This provides an important starting point for future research, coach education curriculum development and a potential tool for effective coach reflection and coach mentorship.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Coach-athlete-relationship; coach education; Football coaching; Performance sport; Interpersonal knowledge
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports > GV711 Coaching G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Date of acceptance:	26 March 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	18 May 2026
Date Deposited:	18 May 2026 08:52
Last Modified:	18 May 2026 08:52
DOI or ID number:	10.24377/LJMU.t.00028347
Supervisors:	Whitehead, A, Cronin, C and Cook, G
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28347

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