A new and improved UEFA Goalkeeping A Licence is currently at the half-way mark as the Scottish FA Coach Education department aims to deliver an insightful and structured learning process to develop high-quality goalkeeping coaches.
The licence is currently the first UEFA Goalkeeping A-Licence to be delivered by the Scottish FA since 2022, with candidates partaking in a blended learning process - with sessions split between the pitch and the classroom - developing their skills on a range of topics, such as creating a high-performance culture and environment, and helping goalkeepers build and maintain their own individual physical and psychological performance levels.
A carefully selected recruitment process saw 16 candidates chosen for the course spanning from February 2025 to September 2025 - to further enhance their coaching ability while learning under the tutorship of experienced Scottish coaches who have been involved in the professional game past and present.
The completion of this course will grant successful candidates with the highest goalkeeping qualification currently available.
Graeme Smith, Goalkeeping Performance and Coach Education Manager, Scottish FA: “We feel as though from a goalkeeping perspective that a goalkeeping coach is very much an integrated member of staff, who can deal with all competencies of the game, and not just the goalkeeping part.
“This is the first the UEFA Goalkeeping A Licence has ran since 2022 due to the changeover in staff which has made things more complicated, but we were very keen to get it up and running again. We had a good selection process with lots of candidates applying, but ultimately, we can only choose 16 candidates. It is good to know we have a great reputation out there with people wanting to come and do our courses, and hopefully we have many more to come.
“The aim is for everyone to bring different thoughts and ideas, making sure we all get together and challenge each other to improve. Ultimately, if we improve the position of a goalkeeping coach then that will have a knock-on effect at the candidate’s clubs and with their goalkeepers.
“We want to make sure that the Scottish FA Goalkeeping Education programme stays strong and the high standards remain.”
Luis Lino, Under-17 Goalkeeping Coach with FC Famalicão in Portugal: “I have done all my courses with the Scottish FA. It is very well structured and organised, and the camaraderie is always very good, which helps. Everything we are taught can be brought back to our clubs, as the tutors give us a lot of food for thought but also give us a lot of room for our own methodology, to try and fit into a structure that makes sense.
“It is very interesting to see how we all approach the same problem in different ways and the tutors are very important in guiding us through the process, making us consider different aspects which is extremely useful.
“It’s all about winning over the coaching staff, showing your competencies with outfield players and slowly getting the coaching staff to trust you with players and drills so you are integrated into the entire structure.”
Gary Maley, First Team Goalkeeping Coach, Arbroath: “Everyone sees the game through a different lens and that is a key thing you learn through the Scottish FA Coach Education programme. I feel that it is very important that you listen to everyone’s opinions and have debates and conversations as there is no right or wrong way.
“My key takeaway so far is my coaching position and making sure I do that properly. I like being on the grass coaching and that is my strength.”
Amrik Hare, former Newcastle United Academy Goalkeeping Coach and current Head of Goalkeeping at Scrosoppi FC in Canada: “The exposure you get, the knowledge you share and the friends you make along the way are what made me want to continue developing at the Scottish FA. What we have done already has opened my eyes in terms of improvements that I can implement at my club back home.
“One thing that this course gets you to do is collaborate with another staff member, where one coach is a lead and the other being the assistant. We know we must accept that the manager takes the lead, and we need to know how to support that.”
Any goalkeeping coach interested in learning under the Scottish FA Goalkeeping Education programme can email goalkeeping@scottishfa.co.uk for more information.
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