Lydia Bedford, the Head Coach of the Brentford men’s under-18s team has some firm coaching advice.

“There’s no shortcuts, even though everyone seems to want them these days,” she tells Henry Breckenridge and John Portch on the Leaders Performance Podcast, which is brought to you today by our friends at Keiser.

“Time on the grass, working in different environments, working under different people as leaders will help you to understand what it looks like for you.”

Bedford, who has also coached with underage women’s teams at the Football Association [FA], Leicester City Women in the WSL, and served as an assistant coach at Arsenal Women, talks enthusiastically about her first six months Brentford.

In her new role she is a pioneer. One of the few women coaches operating at the top level of the men's game.

Elsewhere in this episode, she delves into the importance of her mentors, who include Mo Marley, the current Head Coach of England Women’s under-23s.

Bedford recalls a time at an FA training camp when, at Marley’s side, she encountered the senior women’s England squad. She says: “Every senior player that walked passed her gave Mo a hug and I was like ‘I want to be Mo, I want to have that impact’. But actually, the more I worked with Mo, whilst I love her to bits and still have tremendous respect for her, how Mo leads is not how Lydia leads.

“You learn loads of things, good and bad, from people that you work under and then you find your own way.”

Elsewhere on the agenda, Bedford spoke about:

• Her status as a pioneer in the men’s game [12:30];
• Facilitating challenge and support in an environment where results are less significant [17:00];
• Her relationship with her assistant Jon-Paul Pittman [30:00];
• Integrating players who are not used to academy environments [33:30].

Henry Breckenridge Twitter | LinkedIn

John Portch Twitter | LinkedIn

Listen above and subscribe today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and Overcast, or your chosen podcast platform.