Alex Connor

Football Journalist

Long Reads

Explore a featured selection of my favourite topics within football

FotMob •

Hajduk Split’s journey against the odds

Disappointment and agonisingly fine margins have become a familiar tale for Hajduk. A previously successful force has become Croatia’s perennial bridesmaid. Since their previous league title win, Hajduk have finished either HNL runners-up or in third place a combined 14 times. In the last three campaigns, they’ve placed second once and third twice. In the 2023/24 season, Hajduk were top at the winter break, but lost four consecutive games in the spring, inclu...
Goalkeeper.com •

Nicolas Nerinckx: The importance of goalkeeper-team integration

“Act reliably for your teammates but act unpredictably for the opponent.”

Those are the words of Belgian goalkeeper coach Nicolas Nerinckx, currently plying his trade at Belgian second division side RWDM Brussels.

Following a youth playing career at Anderlecht as part of Belgium’s 93’ generation, alongside the likes of Romelu Lukaku, knee injuries and a strong passion for coaching promoted Nerinckx to end his playing career early and embark on a new journey as a coach.  In 2017, he returned to...
FotMob •

Ademola Lookman: Atletico Madrid’s new talisman, ready for a fresh challenge

Lookman’s career had temporarily stalled at Atalanta, as his relationship with the club deteriorated beyond the point of no return. The €35 million February move to the Spanish capital is the stepping stone for Lookman to elevate his career to the next level. Atleti’s shortcomings, weighed against the attacker’s quality and ambitions, make this an ideal marriage, from which both parties can massively benefit. Last Thursday, Lookman enjoyed a dreamy debut in the 5-0...
FotMob •

Kenan Yildiz: Juventus’ creative heartbeat, who is taking Italian football by storm

The silky playmaker was denied two first-half assists. Firstly, he teed up Khéphren Thuram, who crashed an effort against the post, before dribbling at the Napoli backline, attracting the attention of multiple defenders, and slipping in Francisco Conceição. Still, his teammate’s goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Alessandro Buongiorno. 


Nevertheless, Yıldız would eventually receive his crowning moment. Deep into the second half, he doubled Juventus’ lead,...
Stratford Observer •

Stratford Town heritage book to be released after cub’s wartime origins unearthed

Notably, Connor discovered the fascinating wartime origins of the Bards and found the club acted as a means of escapism for soldiers returning home on leave and foreign prisoners of war.

Some of the people interviewed for the book include the children of club founder Paul Bartlett and 96-year-old Don Payne who played in matches for Stratford against Italian prisoners of war in Ettington.

And Connor revealed the idea to write the book initially came from a request for work experience.

Connor s...
Goalkeeper.com •

Laurie Walker on life lessons from a goalkeeping career across the English pyramid

For Laurie Walker, being a successful goalkeeper goes way beyond physical and technical attributes.

“If I can give anyone advice, it is to crack your mental side,” he says, speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com. “The struggles will be there, but the burning passion inside needs to be stronger. You need to be thick-skinned and understand that you will make mistakes and won’t be perfect. You may need to take a step back to move forward and set aside your ego.”

The 36-year-old plays for National...
Goalkeeper.com •

Mary Earps' legacy shouldn't be overshadowed by book controversy

In May 2025, Mary Earps dramatically announced her retirement from England duty, just five weeks before the Euros in Switzerland, sending deafening reverberations around the world of women’s football.

For the Lionesses, it marked the departure of an era-defining goalkeeper with 53 caps, who had been pivotal to the national team’s recent success. Earps played every minute of the 2022 Euros and was named in the team of the tournament, as England won the competition for the first time. In the 2023...
Goalkeeper.com •

Linus Kandolin: the importance of adaptability as a GK coach

Adaptability, selflessness, and the hunger to learn are the formula for Linus Kandolin’s rise to a Premier League coaching job. The 34-year-old has been a goalkeeper coach for the last decade at Ostersunds FK, IF Elfsborg, and West Ham United.

Speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com, the Swede’s “biggest advice” to youngsters sums up the mindset that has underpinned his success so far: “be humble and curious about finding new ways of helping goalkeepers improve. Work hard, because you can always...
Goalkeeper.com •

Rafael Cabral interview: Brazil to Berkshire, and beyond

Rafael Cabral has enjoyed an illustrious playing career, spanning over 20 years, seeing the goalkeeper feature at the highest levels in Brazil, Italy, England, and the United States. Since January 2025, Rafael has been with MLS side Real Salt Lake. In September, the Claret and Cobalt announced that his contract had been extended to 2027, with an option to take it until 2028.
The 35-year-old is relishing his time in America. “Playing in the MLS was always...
Goalkeeper.com •

Maths Elfvendal and Michael Gspurning: How To Effectively Structure A Goalkeeper Pre-Season

Pre-season is a much less documented part of the football calendar. Welcome back videos will often be posted on the club’s social media, portraying a jovial ‘back-to-school’ atmosphere as everyone returns from their sun-soaked holidays. Hefty concentration is placed upon fitness as players recover from their well-deserved breaks, but what does the rest of the pre-season process involve for goalkeepers?

Michael Gspurning is Union Berlin’s Head of Goalkeeping and Goalkeeper Coach, playing an inst...
Glory •

EE Disability FA Cup

This match was one of six finals taking place at the EE Disability FA Cup across 28th and 29th June 2025 at St. George’s Park. It's the ninth edition of this event, hosting finals for the following formats: Amputee, Blind, Cerebral Palsy, Deaf, Partially Sighted and Powerchair football.
With EE confirmed as the official title partner for the next four years, this ensures that impairment-specific football has a national FA competition with a stable future. 
The 2025 edition of this remarkable eve...
Goalkeeper.com •

Should newly-promoted EPL teams change their goalkeeper?

In the last two Premier League seasons, the three Championship sides who were promoted to the top flight have been instantly relegated. In 2023/24, Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United mustered a lowly 66 points. In the latest campaign, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton accumulated only 59.

This year, Leeds United, who clinched the title under Daniel Farke, the reinvented Burnley, thanks to the meticulous Scott Parker, and Sunderland, returning to the promised land for the first...
Goalkeeper.com •

Frederik Gössling: Inside RB Leipzig's GK Department

Hunger to succeed and the ambition to develop: these are the motives that embody Frederik Gössling’s working life and RB Leipzig’s monumental progression. Founded in 2009, Leipzig’s meteoric rise into Europe’s elite has included four promotions in seven years to reach the Bundesliga, two DFB-Pokal trophies and a Champions League semi-final. Gössling has been at the heart of this glorious journey.

Gössling has operated as the club’s goalkeeper coach for ten years. In October 2024, his contract i...
Goalkeeper.com •

Steve Hale: A Goalkeeping Guide To The Play-Offs

The Play-Offs and their outcomes teeter on a perilous knife-edge. The winning team experiences a gushing feeling of accomplishment and euphoria. The losers must face the brutal realisation that a season’s hard work has been decimated. Steve Hale has experienced both sides of this conundrum.

The Englishman has coached throughout the Football League in a tremendous 18-year journey. He has enjoyed stints at Swindon Town, Forest Green Rovers, Walsall, Oldham Athletic, Exeter City, Coventry City, Cr...
Goalkeeper.com •

Sam Walker: The 'academic' GK backing Bradford's charge

“I didn’t want to stand still.” This is the mantra that Sam Walker has adopted in his football career and everyday mentality. Walker is a goalkeeper who constantly seeks improvement. An intense focus upon development has overseen a brilliant career on the pitch and has extended into his endeavours off it.

The Bradford City goalkeeper is ambitious and hungry. He possesses a BA degree in Business Management and Administration and is on course to finish his Global Sport Football Directorship Diplo...
Goalkeeper.com •

Dean Thornton: Ramsdale, Russell Martin, Reflection, & More

Dean Thornton has worked across the football pyramid as a goalkeeper coach, previously at Queens Park Rangers, Milton Keynes Dons, Swindon Town and Swansea City, and currently at Southampton. “17 years later and I’m still coaching,” he says, speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com. “I started this journey so young. I made the right decision to go down this route.”

Thornton’s fantastic coaching journey stemmed from a lower profile playing career. As a young...
Goalkeeper.com •

This Year's FA Cup Is Turning Out To Be The Keepers' Trophy

Conor Hazard's heroic performance to send Plymouth through to the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of Premier League leaders Liverpool marked another big afternoon for goalkeepers in this year's FA Cup.

Argyle have had a torrid time of it so far this season in the Championship, sitting bottom of the league, but proved that the magic of the cup is still alive and kicking.

The men between the posts in this years competition have, as usual, been a unique collective from all walks of life (and ac...
Goalkeeper.com •

Darryl Flahavan: From Facing Ronaldo To Beating Slot's Reds

Since he first laid eyes on a football, Darryl Flahavan has been surrounded by various waves of goalkeeping brilliance that have shaped a tremendous playing and coaching career. His older brother Aaron was a professional goalkeeper at Portsmouth and paved the way for Darryl’s introduction to football. “When I was nine, I watched my brother at the Portsmouth Academy and School of Excellence,” he says, speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com.

“I would stand on the side of the pitch, catching balls...
Goalkeeper.com •

Andy Quy: Coaching Raya, MLS Franchises, & Promotion Hopes

Andy Quy’s coaching career has shifted him across the Football League in England and offered him the opportunity to flourish in America. But, wherever he has worked, there has been an unwavering common denominator in his mentality. “I love developing players and winning games,” he says, speaking to Goalkeeper.com. “It’s all about the project of the job and the club.”

Quy’s playing days started as a schoolboy on a Youth Training Scheme at Tottenham Hotspur. He then secured a pro contract at Derb...
Goalkeeper.com •

James Hollman: Creator Of ProDeflect, Coaching In The Championship And Premier League

James Hollman’s coaching philosophy is based on collaboration and a thirst for knowledge. “You’ve got to be flexible in terms of relationships and how you teach,” he says, speaking to Goalkeeper.com. “Integration with the team is crucial.”

Hollman’s receptiveness, adaptability, and professionalism have laid the foundations for a distinguished coaching career that has spanned over 20 years and still has significant mileage. It has shifted the 46-year-old across the football pyramid and he’s made...
Goalkeeper.com •

How Neuro-Fitness Technology Could Help Goalkeepers

Train Your Brain. Transform Your Game. The rhetoric splashed across i-BrainTech, a neuro-fitness data company that looks towards a future where brain training is placed upon the same transformative pedestal as physical exercise.

How do they aim to achieve this? i-Brain says it has created a “new era of training” in the form of a video game, controlled by the innate power of the mind and visualisation. This ground-breaking neuro-training game enhances footballers’ performance on the pitch, aids...
Goalkeeper.com •

Save Well For Less: Goalkeeper Bargain Buys

What does history tell us about the clubs who've bought well in the transfer market?

With a longer life span in their careers and perhaps more of a reluctance of clubs to change their shot-stopper, it is the perfect opportunity for positional longevity. Yet, there is an underlying reluctance for the transfer budget to be splashed on a goalkeeper: but why?

Of course, there is an ignorance attached to the position. Not from goalkeepers themselves but the outsiders. Goalkeepers are inherently und
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