Game day is all about making sure you’re mentally and physically ready to do battle for 90 minutes.
All external influences need to be blocked out. Full attention must be paid to the team’s game plan and the opponent.
They key to maintaining focus is routine. But no matter what level you play this can be difficult to sustain over the course of a long, hard season.
Our bodies are not always up for trudging around a boggy pitch in the cold, wind and rain. Sometimes we’d just prefer to sink in to our beds, with a cup of tea and Sky Sports News on the box.
What do the pro’s do before a game? How do they get up for every contest? Norwich City defender Sebastien Bassong enlightens FFT so you can bring a slice of Premier League to your pre-match routine (and drag your backside out of bed).
Also see:
Sebastien Bassong: How to find your flow
Sebastien Bassong: Rise to the big occasion
Rooney: Big match preparation
Theo Walcott: Big match preparation
Pele: Big match preparation
Meditate like Messi
Clint Dempsey: mental preparation
Carlton Cole's mind gym
Carl Jenkinson: Get in the zone
Gus Poyet: Mental preparation
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
‘England have the players to win the World Cup – it’ll be tough for Thomas Tuchel to do a bad job, with the squad he has at his disposal’ Former Three Lions winger backs new boss after gentle qualifying draw
