Why England teenager Parkinson has a mindset coach

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that 17-year-old England midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson has been working with a mindset coach since she was 12 as part of a deliberate plan to develop both her football ability and her resilience. Parkinson was a surprise senior England call-up by manager Sarina Wiegman in March, after moving through the England youth pathway and playing club football in Portugal.

Parkinson was born in Singapore to an English father and Japanese mother, making her eligible for England, Japan and Portugal. According to the BBC, she spent much of her playing career in Portugal, including time at Leixoes, involvement with Benfica and a first-team breakthrough at Valadares Gaia in 2023-24. She has also represented England at youth level extensively and can speak Portuguese, French, Japanese and English.

The report focuses on her long-running work with Martin Fairn, founder of Gazing Performance, whose clients have included the New Zealand men’s rugby team and former England cricketer Ashley Giles. BBC Sport says Parkinson’s sessions have covered pressure, expectations, leadership, decision-making and on-pitch awareness. Before her first senior Lionesses camp, she used a process developed with Fairn to map the emotions and demands she might face, including higher training intensity, media attention and adapting to established international players.

Parkinson joined North Carolina Courage this summer on a three-year deal and made her debut as a half-time substitute in a 3-0 defeat by Bay FC, with Wiegman watching from the stands. The BBC frames her mental preparation as part of a wider attempt to stand out in an increasingly competitive route to regular senior international football.