Speed remains one of the clearest performance differentiators in soccer. Yet at the highest levels of the game, developing speed is less about chasing peak outputs and more about building systems that allow speed to show up consistently, under fatigue, and across a long competitive season.
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In this discussion, Nick Grantham (Newcastle United FC) and Hailu Theodros (British FA) shared how speed training has evolved over their careers. The common thread was not a specific drill or load, but a way of thinking. Staying ahead of the game requires clarity around what speed actually is, how it's supported by strength, and how it's managed over time.
Rethinking Speed in Soccer: Defining What Speed Actually Means
The conversation starting with being clear on what speed means in the context of soccer, and making sure players and coaches are aligned on that definition. In an environment where match demands vary by position, role, and game model, speed cannot be reduced to a single number or test.
An consequently, they discussed the importance of having that conversation. When players understand how acceleration, deceleration, and repeatability show up on the pitch, speed training feels more concrete. That shared understanding builds buy-in, because athletes can see a clear connection between what they are doing in training and what is being asked of them in matches.
Speed becomes less about testing outcomes and more about solving football problems.
Where Strength and Speed Actually Overlap
The discussion around strength and speed was about how they actually overlap and how that overlap can be trained more intelligently. Heavy decelerations, forceful re-accelerations, and repeated high-intensity efforts all require significant force production. To a strength coach, these are meaningful loading opportunities, even if they don't happen under a barbell.
This is where motorized resistance was discussed as a way to bridge the gap. It allows coaches to apply heavy, specific loads in sprinting and movement tasks that closely resemble what happens on the pitch.
Staying Ahead of the Season, Not Just the Session
One of the biggest challenges in soccer isn't knowing how to train speed, but knowing how much is enough and fitting that in with when. Congested schedules, travel, and match demands all change what's realistic within a week.
Elite environments often prioritize consistency. Small, repeatable exposures accumulated over weeks tend to outperform sporadic spikes in intensity. Micro-dosing speed work allows athletes to maintain and gradually build capacity without compromising availability, keeping the main thing the main thing: the soccer itself.
Using Constraints to Shape Movement Instead of Over-Coaching
Another thread running through the conversation was the use of constraints to guide behavior. Rather than relying on constant verbal cues, coaches described shaping movement by adjusting the task itself with different combinations of loads and exercises.
This encourages better intent and mechanics without overloading the athlete with instructions. In many cases, athletes self-organize more effectively when the environment demands it.
Technology as a Tool for Better Decisions
Technology entered the discussion not as the centerpiece, but as a support system. When used well, data and feedback help clarify decisions rather than complicate them.
The coaches emphasized that the most valuable tools are those that reduce guesswork. Clear feedback allows staff to adjust training in real time and helps athletes understand why changes are being made. When technology simplifies decision-making, it earns its place. When it adds friction, it becomes a distraction.
In high-performance settings, simplicity is a feature, not a limitation.
Speed as a Product of Good Systems
The conversation ultimately returned to systems. Speed in soccer is not built through isolated drills or singular metrics, but through alignment across training, competition, and recovery.
By understanding what speed means in soccer, connecting strength and speed training, managing loads, and using technology to support decisions, elite programs create environments where speed emerges naturally.
Staying ahead of the game is less about doing more and more about doing the right things, consistently, over time.
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Published: February 3, 2026