About US

I’ve been an FA Level 2 football coach since 2013.

Over the past 13 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a variety of football coaching programmes, most notably with Arsenal Soccer Schools. Throughout that time, I’ve coached hundreds of young players and, like many coaches, spent countless hours thinking about what really makes an exciting footballer.

Then, in 2026, something clicked.

After 13 years of coaching, and watching England once again break our hearts at the 2026 World Cup, I found myself thinking about the type of footballer I wanted to help develop.

And I kept coming back to one team.

Specifically, Brazil’s World Cup winning attacking trio in 2002.

Ronaldo. Ronaldinho. Rivaldo.

For me, they represented everything that made attacking football so exciting.

They were fearless.

They were creative.

They were unpredictable.

They were brave enough to try things that most players simply wouldn’t.

Watching them, you never quite knew what was going to happen next. A dribble. A piece of skill. A clever pass. A moment of individual brilliance.

They played with freedom.

And that got me thinking…

Why do some football cultures seem to produce players who are so willing to express themselves, take risks and attack opponents without fear?

That question led me down a rabbit hole of research into South American football philosophy, coaching methods and player development.

And the more I explored, the more convinced I became that there was something missing from the way we sometimes develop young attacking players here in England.

Not talent.

Not effort.

But perhaps the freedom to express it.

That realisation became the inspiration for Samba Strikers.

A football coaching programme built around developing bold, brave and expressive attacking players.

At Samba Strikers, I want children to feel encouraged to take on defenders.

To try something different.

To make decisions for themselves.

To take risks.

To make mistakes.

And then have the confidence to try again.

Because I believe, that if we constantly tell young players what not to do, we can sometimes take away the very qualities that make them exciting footballers in the first place.

This doesn’t mean I believe defending is unimportant.

Quite the opposite.

Every player at Samba Strikers will have opportunities to defend, understand defensive principles and experience the challenge of trying to stop the very attacking situations they have been learning to create.

But our specialist focus is attacking football.

We want to explore what it takes to break down a defence with courage, creativity and imagination.

How do we beat the player in front of us?

How do we create space?

How do we recognise opportunities?

How do we have the confidence to attempt something unexpected?

And perhaps most importantly…

How do we give children the freedom to play?

My ambition for Samba Strikers is simple.

I want to create an environment where young footballers aren't afraid to fail.

Where creativity is encouraged.

Where bravery is rewarded.

Where individuality is celebrated.

And where a child can walk onto a football pitch believing they have the freedom to make something happen.

Because who knows…

The next time you see a child on the football pitch do something wildly impressive, completely unexpected or brilliantly brave in an attacking situation…

Just maybe, they learnt to do it at Samba Strikers.

Play Brave. Attack with Freedom.

Oli