Southgate: Get your head on a goal kick

Gareth Southgate talks you through attacking the opposition keeper's goal kicks, head on

“Don’t let the ball bounce!” It’s a cry often heard from the sidelines of Sunday league games across the country, but that’s not to say it’s not something that is drilled into professional players.

The Premier League has some of the some of the biggest kicking goalkeepers in the game – Paul Robinson, Pepe Reina and David de Gea for example.

As a result, it is imperative for opposition you – the defender - to pre-empt where the ball is going in order to move your team up or down the pitch.

At amateur level, teams often get caught out by goal kicks early on, especially if the opposing keeper has a particularly booming one.

The trick, according to former England defender Gareth Southgate, is to start in an appropriate position that allows you to run on, or back track, depending on where the ball is heading.

“Take up a starting position in your half, on the edge of the centre circle,” Southgate told FFT.

“It’s much easier to come forward or back from there. You’ll never have to go too far back, and if it’s short then your midfield can challenge for the first couple.”

Watch on as Southgate tells you how to head that ball back to where it came from…

Gareth Southgate was speaking at the launch of the Carlsberg Pub Cup, a nationwide five aside competition for players of all standards. To register your pub visit www.carlsberg.co.uk/pubcup. Carlsberg is The Official Beer of The England Football Team and sponsor of UEFA EURO 2012.

Also see:
Southgate: Recovering from a setback
Southgate: What you need to win the cup
Southgate: Defend without tackling
Midfield to defence: Making the switch
Southgate: Containing the threat
Southgate: Lay the perfect offside trap
Southgate: Defending set pieces
Southgate: Defending a lead under pressure
Southgate: Playing out from the back