New Zealand performance coach Owen Eastwood has shared his experiences working with Gareth Southgate who has recently stepped down as manager of the England national team.
Eastwood, a lawyer-turned-performance coach from Southland, has consulted to many leading sports teams, including the All Blacks and the British Olympic team.
He was recruited by the English FA to help Southgate build a new team culture with their national team.
At the start, after interviews with players, Eastwood found a culture of fear and reluctance by players to take part in tournaments such as World Cups and Euros because of the pressure they were put under by the public, media and critics.
In an interview with NewstalkZB host Jason Pine, Eastwood described his work with Southgate, a man who has become a close friend.
Main photo: Owen Eastwood … top performance coach, based in the United Kingdom.
READ MORE: Owen Eastwood, the Kiwi helping England build its team culture >>>>
Listen to interview
Click on the following link for the full 15-minute interview:
During his tenure as national coach, Southgate hired another member of his support staff with New Zealand connections.
Former New Zealand Knights manager Paul Nevin became a key part of England’s coaching staff and sat beside manager Gareth Southgate in the dugout.
English-born Nevin spent almost a year managing the ill-fated New Zealand Knights in the A-League in 2006.
Nevin was the highest-qualified coach in New Zealand when appointed to the Knights role and had moved to Auckland with his wife and two children.
He’s since been on the coaching staff of English Premier League West Ham United.
READ MORE: The former NZ Knights manager who is beside England’s Gareth Southgate in the dugout >>>>
This story was first published on August 6, 2024.
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