Steph Catley on lessons learnt and future plans

What do you remember from your very early days being coached? What were the most valuable lessons you learned?

My first-ever football coach, Eric Harvus, used to run the under-6s boys’ team I joined. I just remember that the way he coached was all about positivity and words of affirmation. We built each other up and really believed in each other. I think that stuck with me from that age and that's how I learned to communicate and get the best out of people, because he made me feel accepted and important.

It was particularly special because I was the only girl on the team and the way he believed in me meant that I could be myself and ignore what maybe the boys might be saying. That was Eric’s leadership: it made everyone feel part of the team.

I was a bit of a tomboy anyway and grew up playing with my brother and other boys in the neighbourhood, so I was used to people making comments. But if anyone from the opposition had something to say about a girl playing, he was always the first to stand up for me while also reminding me to just play football, believe in myself and block it out. Those messages and that style of coaching is definitely how I like to lead and communicate with other people.

Who were your early influences? What players did you look up to when you started and why?

When I started to understand tactics and positioning a little better, I remember watching Gareth Bale. I know he was at Tottenham! He was a really pacey, forward-thinking and direct winger, but he was playing at full back, and that's the position I had just been moved into. When I began to dabble at left back, I tried to watch a lot of different players, but seeing how Bale went about the position, it was the first time I'd seen a modern fullback who wanted to go forward as much as I did. He was up and down that wing, crossing and combining, and that’s exactly how I wanted to play. I tried to emulate him as much as I could: an attacking full-back who was always able to get back and help the team when needed.

Recently, I’ve been playing more as a centre-back and I find it’s all about rhythm. When I initially made the switch, I had to stop all the instinctual movements I’d built at full-back. I’m used to giving a pass and making another run forward, whereas as a centre back, you make a pass, then you back off and provide that option behind. The more I play at centre back, the more that instinct to fly forward fades out, which is for the better, but if I get moved to left back, then all those instincts kick in again.

Can you pinpoint a stage in your career, or an age group, where you made the biggest leap?

My career kicked off pretty quickly. I made my debut in the W League when I was only 15 and then moved into the national team pretty soon after that. My first game with the Matildas was a level above anything I had ever played before. I remember feeling like I could do anything in that game: I had so much energy, I was beating people down the wing, and I was defending really well. We went on to play a couple of big games after that against Japan and the US who were top of the world - they were winning everything at the time, and I survived! I was just a young kid defending Megan Rapinoe on the wing, playing against people I’d grown up admiring, and I did my part. That was the moment when I found the belief. The confidence to know I’m on the biggest stage in football and I belong here.

what were your favourite training drills then and what are they now?

Our whole squad is pretty similar. We love a mini World Cup, which is just small-sided games, because it's so competitive. There’s lots of shooting, you just get to express yourself, and there's no boundaries. At our heart, I think every footballer hates rules! When there's a really technical possession drill where you’re only allowed two touches in this grid, that's when players get frustrated. I'm also a sucker for a basic passing drill. I love just working on my left foot, right foot and really focusing on the details of a pass.

"I feel like a lot of the girls would probably say yes, but I've never really wanted to be a coach!"

how has training evolved since your first seasons in the sport?

The attention to detail now is the main difference. Here at Arsenal, we've got such a large staff with so many people working behind the scenes to set things up for us. Sometimes, we don't even see why we're doing a certain drill, but there will have been so much thought behind the preparations. Whereas back in the day, it was more about individual development, working on the basics, being the fittest team and having the most passion, maximum effort is now paired with the tactical, technical side of football. Everything has just come so far and that's because the coaching is world class. There are so many people that are working full time to make us the best that we can be.

what do you wish you had known earlier in your career?

When I was younger, I was probably worse than I am now in terms of viewing myself, but I can often land on the negative side after a game. I wish I’d known how to focus more on the positives, because I was quite hard on myself. Ironically, I think that mindset got me to where I needed to be because it made me work really hard, but it would have been good to just relax into it a bit more, enjoy it and have faith in myself. It's hard to say that, because if I was a bit more relaxed, maybe I wouldn't have got to where I am now. It's just part of being an athlete, I think.

What training qualifications do you have now or would like to have in future?

It's funny. I feel like a lot of the girls would probably say yes, but I've never really wanted to be a coach. I think I will want to stay in football in some sort of capacity, but I don't think it'll be in coaching. You never know! But I look at coaches sometimes and wonder: ‘Why do you want to do that?!’ They’re living the life of a footballer, which is such a great life, but without playing the football and with even more pressure. I really appreciate what coaches do because it’s such a tough gig and people rarely recognise when things are going well, but I don’t see myself going down that path.

Do you enjoy the analysis side of the game? (And why/why not?)

I'm probably somewhere in between, because I like to know when there are things I can improve on. I'm a visual learner, so I can really tell when I'm doing something that's not working and if I watch it back, I can see how to improve. I'm very open to feedback and I think if you're closed off to learning and improvement, then you've sort of lost yourself in the game. You can always get better and always learn. Watching clips and hearing opinions from experts who coach for a living, is really important.

I also like to move on quickly, so I prefer to not dwell too much on past games. I have a tendency to have a negative impression of my game, because I remember everything that could have been better before I remember the good things that I've done! Sometimes, I’ll watch clips and notice what I did well, which really helps me find my balance.

Who in the current squad would make the best manager in future and why?

The three who are doing their coaching badges could be a little coaching trio. Beth's the one that would communicate well and pump everyone up, and then there's Kim and Wally, who are the tactical geniuses who see the game really well behind the scenes. I also think Manu would be a good coach, actually. She projects her voice and her ideas really well under pressure and she can be really direct when needed. The way Manu shares information is very calm and it means that it never comes across as like you're doing something wrong. It's framed more like: if you do this, we can be better.

What can football learn from other sports?

If you look at basketball and the breakdown of individual skills they do, I think that would be a really interesting side to add to football. It doesn't have to be high intensity training – even just breaking down skills and repeating them in all positions. Whether it's a centre-back hitting long passes on the left and right foot or a full-back hitting crosses, breaking down the skills and having that as a session in itself would be great. For basketball, they arrive in the morning, prepare themselves as a team and then go off and shoot. I would love if there was a way to incorporate that individual side more. Defenders won't be given many opportunities to shoot in training, but when we end up in that position during a game and it's going Row Z, everyone's like ‘why?’! Obviously, there are so many facts about loading and protecting the body because we play so many games, so it's very hard to fit that sort of thing in. But it would be an interesting aspect to add!