Former Premier League footballer Paul McVeigh, known for his time at Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City, has made a significant shift from the pitch to the realm of performance psychology. Now 47, McVeigh has undergone a radical career change. Now, he uses some of the same visualization techniques his father taught him to help athletes and business leaders achieve peak performance in life.
McVeigh’s football resume is nothing short of remarkable. He became the first to score in the Premier League while playing for both Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City. Even as a Northern Ireland international, he was able to ply his trade on an international stage. Once he hung up his boots, McVeigh’s interest in high performance psychology took center stage in his life’s work.
His palpable love of the social sciences surely dates back well before his 2000 retirement. McVeigh credits a lot of his understanding of visualization techniques to talks with his father, a passionate golfer and golf follower. When he was 17, visualization became the cornerstone of his success after being inspired by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus. Inspired by this early education, he began picturing his goals every morning and evening. He’s convinced this practice was one of the most important factors behind his success on the football field.
“I was just open to it. I started this practice as a child. Then, every morning and night, I pictured the goals I was going to score. I scored most of my goals the way I dreamt them when I was young. It’s astonishing to watch those youthful aspirations unfold in my 20-year professional career! I massively benefited from it,” McVeigh stated.
After his own exit from professional football, McVeigh started to work directly with athletes to teach them about the mental game. He spent years road-showing through such clubs, educating players that psychological factors can massively shape performance. Despite his tireless dedication, this was no easy feat, as he struggled to win over elite athletes on the value of sports psychology.
Those seven years almost broke us. When you came on, there was apparently an uphill battle to fight in having to prove the value of sports psychology to elite athletes, NO WAY! With some, you might as well provide the winning lottery numbers and they’re not going to bite,” he said.
McVeigh is committed to educating athletes on mindfulness techniques. Now, his influence has expanded beyond just footballers, to people in many other sports and even the business community. He is passionate about equipping athletes with the tools to prepare their mindset—in the toughest moments, when it’s most needed.
One of the NHL’s elite players suddenly stops scoring for three months? So it’s really about the state of mind McVeigh said. He is convinced that most players don’t actively practice the mental side of their games. “How many players are intentionally developing the mental part of their game? Hardly any in my experience,” he continued.
This notion of visualization is still central to McVeigh’s practice as a performance psychologist. He challenges people to engage in vivid, specific mental visualization that improves their readiness for actual situations.
Now, you know, just replay it 503 times in a row. But add more detail to it. Pay attention to the colors around you. Think about your opponent’s body type—large or small. Pay attention to the noise coming from the audience. Picture this whole picture very clearly in your head. Take an example like this one, where he advised.
By exploring his craft like a true artist, McVeigh shines a light on an important difference between winning athletes and choking ones. He points out that without proper strategies developed, players won’t be able to handle the pressure of a high-stakes game.
I genuinely believe that this is where players fail when they lack these tactics. Without experience of having to control themselves in high pressure situations, everyone fails. It really is horrible for them.
McVeigh stresses the need for everyone involved with developing an athlete to keep a long-term, positive-play perspective. He remembers how unproductive and damaging the wrong framing can be to performance, revealing stories from his own time as a player.
We spent a lot of time on the language we were using. So, our conversation focused on all the things we didn’t want to do. You may believe this is not a big deal. It’s just semantics. Psychologically, you don’t think about the don’t – that’s the thinking about the negative,” he said.
Today, as he works every day with clients from all walks of life, McVeigh is passionate about spreading what he’s learned and experienced. His transformation from a footballer to a performance psychologist reflects his dedication not only to personal growth but to helping others navigate their paths to success.
Leave a Reply