Dish out a beating with either peg, thanks to these top tips from Arsenal’s midfield magician
“Defenders keep shutting me out because they know I’m going to shoot with my right foot every time. How can I train my left?” Fahad Nejeeb, via email
Santi Cazorla says:
“I’m trying to teach my son to play with both feet. I play in the back garden with him all the time, but he prefers his right!
I started playing with both feet ever since I began kicking a ball with my father; I’ve been lucky that it’s something I’ve always been able to do.
My coaches have always encouraged it in me, but you have to want to do it yourself.
All the technical work I do, and have ever done, I practise more of with my left foot: more technique, more shots on goal, more crosses.
The younger you start learning to play with both feet, the better, but anyone can improve by practising.
Any exercise or training session you take part in, you should attempt to do with either foot.
It improves every aspect of your game. Your game-management increases, as does your awareness of spaces around you to pass into.
Above all, you have to enjoy every session, because then it doesn’t feel like learning. Work, work, work is the secret to improving any aspect of your game.”
Andrew Murray is a freelance journalist, who regularly contributes to both the FourFourTwo magazine and website. Formerly a senior staff writer at FFT and a fluent Spanish speaker, he has interviewed major names such as Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero and Xavi. He was also named PPA New Consumer Journalist of the Year 2015.
