Play What Is
Stop Fighting Football. Start Playing It.

Every professional footballer is playing two games.

There's the game everyone can see. Twenty-two players, one ball, two goals.

Then there's the game nobody sees. The one in your head. What does the manager think of me? Am I starting next week? Why am I not further ahead? What if I'm not actually good enough?

Nobody teaches you how to play that one.

Play What Is is a full audiobook for professional footballers, read by performance and mindset coach Rob Blackburne, built from years of conversations with players at every level from the Premier League to non-league.

It isn't positive thinking. You won't be told you're amazing, or that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the criticism is right. Sometimes the manager doesn't rate you. Reality isn't always nice, but reality is useful, because it's the only place you can actually work from.

Across thirteen chapters, it covers the stories you tell yourself, the gap between what is and what you think should be, staying in your own business, why courage comes before confidence, the four fears underneath almost every player's head, mistakes and reset speed, judgement, expectations, who you are without football, uncertainty, overthinking, and how to find your way back to playing.

The method is built on the work of Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is, taken into the dressing room and translated into team sheets, contracts, managers, crowds, and injuries.

It comes down to five things. Awareness. Acceptance. Turnaround. Action. Play.

Because the game is still happening while you're arguing with yourself.

If you're a professional footballer and you want to work on this properly, apply to work with Rob & Luke O'Nien at www.elitexiapply.com

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

Most players want the big breakthrough.

But that’s not how performance works.

In this episode, I break down why success is built through small steps repeated over time, and why chasing quick results is actually slowing you down.

If you feel stuck, impatient, or like you’re not progressing fast enough…

This will change your perspective.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

It's coming up to the business end of the season. A lot of you have got big matches and you're under pressure.

How do you deal with it? Depends on how you see it.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

My brother-in-law did 5K three to four times a week for a year, and he didn't improve.

Here's why you're basically doing the same thing, but with football.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

For the past week, when Jeni goes to bed, I do this one thing without her knowing.

This could expose me, but I'm willing to share it anyway.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

Today I got asked to give a 20-minute talk on confidence for goalkeepers for the FA. I thought I'd record it for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

Sometimes we feel like we're always behind. Me too.

How do we get ourselves out of that? I talk about that in this podcast.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.

I've spoken to a lot of players recently who are trying to force things, so they feel like they need to do more.

I've told them to do less and to get out of their own way by doing these few specific things I tell you about in this podcast.

Apply to work with Luke O'Nien and me in the Elite XI

Go to: www.elitexiapply.com to apply today.