This week on Strain on the Game, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb sit down with Dr. Robin Thorpe, one of the world’s leading performance and recovery experts and the former Senior Performance Scientist & Head of Recovery at Manchester United.
For a decade (2009–2019), Robin worked directly with the first team under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, overseeing the recovery and regeneration of elite players. During that time, United won 10 national and international titles, and Robin became known as the person players trusted to get them physically and mentally ready for the next match.
In this episode, Robin reveals what really happens behind the scenes of Premier League recovery and answers the questions fans never get to hear:
What does recovery actually mean in elite football?
How do clubs monitor fatigue and predict injury risk?
What do players do immediately after a match?
Cryotherapy, compression, hydrotherapy, what works, what doesn’t?
How do travel, fixture congestion, and December chaos impact performance?
Why is mental and emotional recovery just as important as physical?
Plus: real stories from working with world-class athletes including Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Alexis Sánchez, Robin van Persie and Chicharito and how different personalities respond to recovery demands.
Beyond football, Robin has consulted across the NBA, MLB, MLS, PGA Tour, Olympic Track & Field, and was Director of Performance at Red Bull, supporting global sports projects and building systems to maximise performance and availability.
👉 If you’ve ever wondered what the pros really do after a game, this episode takes you inside the recovery rooms, onto the training pitches, and into the decisions that keep elite players on the field.
Ever wondered how Premier League teams plan their training week? It’s not endless 5-a-sides. It’s a calculated build toward peak performance physically, tactically, technically, and psychologically.
In this episode, Stephen and Adrian break down Tactical Periodisation the methodology used by elite coaches to structure each day with a specific performance objective: strength, endurance, speed, activation.
We explore:
How the week is designed to peak on match day
Why different days have different physical loads (brutal vs light)
How training sessions mirror real game demands
The role of tactics in shaping fitness, not the other way around
If you’ve ever wondered what players actually do between Saturday and Saturday… this will change how you watch football.
This week we sit down with Steve Beharall, CEO of the Newcastle United Foundation, for an open, honest conversation about mental health—and the unique role football clubs play in changing lives far beyond the pitch.
Steve shares how the Foundation’s ethos—“talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t”—drives a portfolio of 40+ programmes built on one simple idea: get the right people into the right places to have real conversations. From walking football and dementia cafés to health checks on matchdays, youth counselling and employability, the team focuses on relatable people who build trust and help others find confidence, purpose, and connection.
We unpack the award-winning Be A Game Changer campaign—how it reduces stigma, educates on sleep, stress and suicide prevention, and builds peer-to-peer support through initiatives like 12th Man/12th Woman. Steve explains why fans are often more willing to open up to their club than a GP, shares sobering realities (e.g., the high suicide risk among men 20–35), and shows how football’s “soft power” can create safe entry points to professional help.
You’ll also hear how player ambassadors like Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff use lived experience to normalise the conversation; why local identity matters in a global squad; and how genuine community engagement can even translate into on-pitch resilience and togetherness.
Highlights
Football as a gateway to honest conversations about mental health
Be A Game Changer: education, signposting, and behaviour change in action
Hubs, access, and why “open door” really means open
The continuum of mental health—support before crisis
Players, purpose, and the culture link between club and city
Measuring impact: social return on investment and community value
If you need help: In the UK, contact Samaritans at 116 123 or samaritans.org. If you’re elsewhere, please seek local support services. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call emergency services.
Listen, rate, and share—and if this episode helps you, check in on a friend today.
Former England international Stephen Warnock and elite performance coach Adrian Lamb sit down with performance psychologist and mindset expert Jamil Qureshi—whose client list spans Premier League clubs, Ryder Cup winners, F1 drivers, Olympians, and FTSE boardrooms—to unpack the mental edge at the very top.
Jamil traces his unlikely route from a £30 pub talk to work with Derren Brown, a golfer who led The Open, and a season-saving stint at Bolton. He explains why talent isn’t enough, how changing perspective changes performance, and why focusing on the “middle group” of good players unlocks outsized results. The trio dig into trust and rapport (including the famous “watch” icebreaker), reframing after injury (with stories from Mason Mount), handling social media noise, and the burnout risk in today’s relentless, data-soaked game.
Stay for practical tools you can use immediately: writing a “who I’ll be” list, the two-ball bravery drill, visualisation for recovery, watching the player furthest from the ball, and translating negative self-talk into useful instruction—plus Gary Speed’s brilliant penalty mantra.
If you want real, usable psychology from the inside of elite sport, this is the one.
The Premier League is facing an injury epidemic — and the numbers are staggering. Last season alone, clubs recorded 593 time-loss injuries, with players missing a combined 2,597 games. The financial hit? More than £255 million in wages paid to injured players — an increase of £70 million on the year before.
Hamstring injuries have doubled in the last 21 years, fixture congestion is at breaking point, and managers are losing their jobs because they simply can’t keep key players fit. Despite clubs spending millions on technology, staff, and recovery systems, the problem only seems to be getting worse.
So what’s the answer?
In this episode, former Premier League physio and England national team staff member Dr. Dave Hancock joins Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb to reveal why injuries are spiralling out of control, where clubs are going wrong, and the revolutionary new systems he’s developed to finally tackle football’s injury crisis.
From Champions League nights with Leeds and Chelsea, to the NBA’s New York Knicks, to founding Apollo — the athlete management system now used in the Premier League, NFL, MLB and beyond — Dave brings unmatched insight into how clubs can save millions, keep players on the pitch, and protect managers’ careers.
If you want to understand football’s hidden epidemic — and the solutions that could change the game — this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.
In this episode of Strain on the Game, hosts Adrian Lamb and Stephen Warnock tackle one of the biggest shifts in modern football: the rise of private coaching outside the club system.
They explore why more players are turning to personal coaches—whether it’s the draw of tailored training, the influence of global stars like LeBron James, or simply the resources to invest in their own performance. Adrian and Stephen weigh up the benefits and challenges, from greater individual development to the importance of transparency between clubs and private coaches.
This candid conversation shines a light on how the football landscape is evolving and the growing role private coaching plays in shaping today’s athletes.
In this episode of Strain on the Game, former Premier League star Stephen Warnock and elite performance coach Adrian Lamb sit down with Chris Rosimus, England’s Head of Nutrition and Performance, and Dave Pyle, one of the national team’s lead Performance Chefs. Together, they reveal what it really takes to fuel the best footballers in the world.
From the training ground to major international tournaments, Chris and Dave explain how carefully designed nutrition plans and performance-driven cooking keep England’s players performing at the very highest level. They share practical insights into matchday meals, recovery strategies, and the sports science behind fuelling elite athletes — as well as the small but crucial details that can make the difference between good and world-class performance.
This episode goes beyond the pitch to explore the often overlooked role of nutrition in modern football. Listeners will learn how the England setup blends cutting-edge science with real-world cooking, what players eat before and after games, and how nutrition supports performance, recovery, and injury prevention across an intense season.
Whether you’re a coach, player, nutrition enthusiast, or simply a fan fascinated by the game behind the game, this conversation offers a rare inside look at how England fuels success on the international stage.
Is football still decided on the pitch, or in the spreadsheets? In this episode of Strain on the Game, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb dive into the rise of data-driven analysis in football. From possession percentages and expected goals (XG) to sprint counts and maximum speeds, numbers are shaping how pundits, coaches, and even fans see the game.
But does all this data actually make the sport better, or are we losing sight of the human side, instinct, creativity, and decision-making under pressure? We explore how stats are used inside Premier League clubs, what they reveal (and what they don’t), and the impact this “numbers game” has on players, coaches, and the future of football.
International duty doesn’t just disrupt clubs — it puts huge strain on the fitness staff behind the scenes. In this episode of Strain on the Game, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb dive into the hidden impact of international call-ups on performance coaches and medical teams.
👉 How do fitness coaches manage players flying thousands of miles mid-season?
👉 What happens when players return injured or fatigued from national duty?
👉 Can sports science really bridge the gap between club and country demands?
We pull back the curtain on the unseen work that keeps players fit, fresh, and ready to perform — even when the schedule is stacked against them.
In this episode of Strain on the Game, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb dive into the hidden cost of injuries in football. ⚽️💥They explore how early-season injuries are already shaping the Premier League, from team performance to the huge financial impact on clubs. The discussion covers:The most common injuries players faceHow pre-season preparation affects injury riskThe relentless pressure on players to deliver at the highest levelThe challenges of integrating new signings after the transfer windowWhy managing player health and expectations is key to long-term success🎧 Tune in for expert insights from the worlds of football and performance science, blending first-hand Premier League experience with elite-level training knowledge.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inside stories and science-backed conversations on the game we all love.
In this episode of Strain on the Game, Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb sit down with Dr Steve McNally former Head of Football Medicine & Science at Manchester United for 16 years, and now Performance Support Director at PGMOL.
From working with Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo, and Rooney at Old Trafford, to leading the medical and sports science team behind five Premier League titles, a Champions League, and a Club World Cup, Dr McNally shares rare insights into life inside one of the world’s biggest clubs.
We talk about:
What it takes to keep elite players fit and performing at the highest level
The untold medical and recovery strategies behind football’s biggest names
His new role supporting referees in the modern game
Lessons anyone can apply to health, fitness, and performance
Whether you’re a football fan, a coach, or someone curious about the science of elite performance, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
What does the perfect match day really look like for a Premier League player – and how close is the reality? From the first meal of the morning to the final recovery session after the whistle, every detail is designed to keep players performing at their peak. In this episode of Strain on the Game, Stephen and Adrian break down the routines, rituals, and recovery strategies that shape a player’s day. From sleep, nutrition, and pre-match prep, to post-game ice baths and winding down, we uncover the small details that can make a huge difference when it matters most.
It’s been called everything from a “money grab” to a “pointless pre-season disruption,” but with a prize pot of over £1 billion on the table, is the Club World Cup really such a bad idea? Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb break down the real impact — from fixture congestion and player burnout to the lure of global exposure and financial rewards. We dig into whether the tournament is worth the strain it puts on already overloaded players, and what it means for the future of football at the very top level.
Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb return with the second part of their deep dive into pre-season. This week, they explore how modern football clubs use data, GPS tracking, and injury prevention strategies to get players ready for the season—without breaking them in the process. From red flags during testing to why some pre-seasons still go wrong, this episode reveals what really separates smart preparation from costly mistakes.
In the very first episode of Strain on the Game, hosts Stephen Warnock and Adrian Lamb dive into the brutal reality of pre-season in elite football. From gruelling training sessions to fitness testing, they break down what players really go through behind the scenes before the first whistle of the season.
Stephen reflects on his own experiences as a Premier League player, while Adrian explains the science and strategy that goes into building a squad’s physical foundation for the months ahead. This is a part of football fans rarely gain access to – and it’s where the real work begins.
Strain on the Game pulls back the curtain on elite football to reveal the physical, mental, and financial demands hidden behind matchday performances. Hosted by former Premier League player Stephen Warnock and top-level performance expert Adrian Lamb, this podcast goes beyond the headlines, diving into the science of fitness, the reality of injuries, the pressure to perform, and the millions riding on a player’s body. If you want to know what it really takes to stay match-fit at the highest level, this is the podcast for you.