Former Tottenham Player Paul McVeigh Emphasizes the Underrated Role of Mental Preparation in Football

Paul McVeigh, a former Tottenham and Northern Ireland international footballer turned performance psychologist, has expressed concern over the lack of interest in mental performance among footballers. Despite the growing awareness about the role of psychology in sports, McVeigh feels that many players still fail to acknowledge its significance. He has spent years educating players on the importance of mental preparation but has often found them disinterested, simply going through the motions. McVeigh believes that mental preparation is a significant edge that remains underutilized in football. His experience suggests that only a handful of players consciously work on improving their mental performance. He cites Jacob Murphy, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Tyrick Mitchell as examples of players who have embraced mental preparation and are now performing at the top level. The concept of visualisation is central to McVeigh's approach to mental preparation. He describes it as creating a detailed mental movie of what you want to happen in a game. The aim is to make actions feel automatic, thus creating a neural pathway resulting in unconscious competence. This approach can be crucial in high-pressure situations, where thinking too much can be detrimental. McVeigh also emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's own performance, which is the only controllable factor in a game. He believes that players often struggle due to a lack of strategies and experience in dealing with pressure situations. Nowadays, McVeigh works with players who are keen to improve their mental performance. He is convinced that the key to gaining an edge in football comes down to psychology.