DEVELOPING PLAYERS AND COACHES
Delivering at the Premier League’s Heads of Education conference
Football develops extraordinary athletes. It does not always develop psychologically whole human beings. The cultures, pressures, and emotional demands of professional sport create conditions that are uniquely difficult to navigate, and most players are never given the tools to do so.
Kevin George has spent over two decades working at that gap. As a former professional footballer with West Ham United and Charlton Athletic, a clinically trained psychotherapist, and the author of Soccology, he understands the game from the inside. He has worked with players, coaches, academies, and clubs across the Premier League and internationally, delivering mental health support and psychoeducation that fits the language and culture of football rather than fighting against it.
Delivery at Manchester United FC
U21 player delivery at Liverpool FC
One to One Support for Players
Kevin offers individual therapy and performance psychology sessions for professional, semi-professional, and academy players. Sessions take place in person or remotely and provide a confidential space for players to explore mental health challenges, manage performance pressure, build emotional resilience, and navigate transitions including injury, career endings, and identity beyond the game. Kevin tailors every session to the individual's developmental stage, cultural background, and specific goals.
Team and Academy Psychoeducation
Kevin delivers structured psychoeducation programmes for senior squads and academies aligned with the Elite Player Performance Plan across Foundation (U9 to U11), Youth Development (U12 to U16), and Professional Development (U17 to U23) phases. Sessions build emotional intelligence, resilience, and mental health awareness in ways players actually engage with. The model uses the culture and language of football as a bridge rather than asking players to step outside it.
““The players were fully engaged and staff commented afterwards that we should run more programmes like this for the players, which isn’t the reaction we always get.” ”
Staff development training at Hull City FC
U21 Player delivery at Stoke City FC
Staff Training and Consultancy
Kevin delivers specialist training for coaches, education leads, welfare officers, and support staff on mental health, performance health, player care, and safeguarding. His training equips staff to recognise and respond to mental health concerns, understand the emotional and social needs of players across developmental stages, and embed sustainable wellbeing practice across the club.
Previous football clients and partners include Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Hull City, the Premier League, Kick It Out, and clubs and academies across the UK and internationally.
CASE STUDY: Gennaro Negro (AS Roma)
Kevin worked with AS Roma's Gennaro Negro on performance anxiety, applying clinical psychotherapy frameworks to help the player understand and manage the psychological pressures of elite football at the highest level.
CASE STUDY: Europe's Top U18 Players – Stress Exploration
Kevin conducted in-depth exploratory work on stress with five of Europe's top U18 players, examining how young elite athletes experience, interpret, and respond to pressure at a critical stage of their psychological and sporting development.
CASE STUDY: Gaël Clichy – Leadership & Paris Olympics
Kevin worked with former Arsenal and Manchester City left-back Gaël Clichy on leadership development, drawing on Clichy's elite career experience to explore the psychological dimensions of leading in high-performance environments in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics.
FAQ
How does Kevin George help professional footballers with mental health?
Kevin provides individual therapy, performance psychology sessions, and team psychoeducation for footballers at all levels, using a clinical model grounded in his own experience as a professional player.
What is the Elite Player Performance Plan and how does Kevin George's work align with it?
The EPPP is the Premier League's framework for academy player development. Kevin's psychoeducation programmes are structured to align with its welfare and education requirements across Foundation, Youth Development, and Professional Development phases.
Why do professional footballers struggle with mental health?
Kevin George's research and clinical practice show that football culture actively discourages emotional expression, creating environments where players suppress psychological distress. His book Soccology explores this in depth through interviews with 45 professional players.