Matt Smith – Becoming a pro late, winning championships with Ange Postecoglou and becoming an international football coach.

Send us Fan MailMatt’s journey through professional football is anything but conventional. Released by Portsmouth in the UK at 17, he moved to Australia and traded his football boots for a suit, seemingly stepping away from the dream. But at 27, an age when many players are winding down, Matt reignited his career and signed as a professional, playing alongside Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler. He went on to play in three countries, captain and win championships under Ange Postecoglou at Brisbane Roar, and earn call-ups to the Australian national team. What makes his story even more compelling is that the same resilience, belief, and work ethic that defined his playing career now underpin his success in coaching, with experience across the top flights of Australia and Thailand, and currently serving as assistant coach of the Malaysian men’s national team.Highlights from the episode…We start with an in depth discussion around the academy system in Australia and how it compares to the UK system.Matt vulnerably shares the moment he was let go at the final hurdle by Portsmouth after 6 years with the club and how that moment has affected the decisions he makes to this day.Matt shares how he took an unconventional route to professional football by exploring opportunities that allowed him to continue playing and progress gradually through the system. After moving to Australia and being rejected on 3 separate occasions by A-league clubs, Matt shares how eventually he secured a his first professional contract all while working full time as marketing manager for a finance company and staying fit in his lunch breaks. Joining the Brisbane Roar FC and what he learnt as a player and now a coach from his time working closely with Ange Postecoglou. How did Ange maintain conviction in his vision and message when things weren’t going well and what Matt learnt during that period that he uses in his coaching style. How Matt secured the head coach role with Asian powerhouse BG Pathum Utd. in the Thai Premier League and his experience working as a head coach in Asian football. Dealing with the uncertainty, stress and pressure of being a head coach and how Matt personally deals with this. How do you still deliver a compelling message when surrounded by constant uncertainty doubt and when there are no guarantees?Both as a player and a coach what are the fundamentals characteristic you have observed and now look for in great performance support staff? Matt discusses his current role as Assistant Coach with the Malaysian men's national team and what it’s like coaching at a national team level. People mentioned:Stuart McLaren: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1v6BxDgkpbki2sUgGBVzdEAnge Postecoglou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ange_PostecoglouMilo Micovic: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1svodLILdSKocJJjtA43McMatt Smith contact details: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-smith-50012736/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattsmith_2/?hl=enHost: Luis ResaContact me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/Email: [email protected] for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.