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How to build a great player

ryangriffin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:05:49 GMT

Having earned a reputation for unearthing and nurturing some of the most exciting young players in the world, Arsene Wenger knows a thing or two about what makes a player great.

Watch the Arsenal manager’s expert opinion on how great players are built, not born. Find out how the perfect balance of talent, intelligence and motivation can mean the difference between a few promising performances and a glittering career in football’s upper echelons.

Dutch Master

ryangriffin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:08:01 GMT

The whistle blows for a free kick just outside the box. You’re handed the ball. So what’s it going to be? Power or placement?

For Wesley Sneijder, the answer is easy. Don’t choose between the two when you can deliver a killer combination of both.

Give Sneijder a set piece and his brain’s already whirring. How far out is it? How hard is the ball? What’s the angle? The wind speed? What boots is he wearing?

Being one of Europe’s dead ball masters isn’t easy. But when free kick magic happens this often, you know it’s not coincidence anymore. It’s next level skill.

Bootcamp Drill of the week: Change up

ryangriffin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:54:31 GMT

A footballer changes speed 1300 times in a game. That’s a whole lot of variation to build into your training if you want to leave your opponents kicking air.

With Bootcamp's Change Up drill, you’ll be changing speed every 20 seconds. So get set. Get psyched. And get ready for a whole new world of acceleration on the pitch.

Next Level: Behind the scenes

ryangriffin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:51:38 GMT

You’ve seen the TV ad as it followed the evolution of a non-league player into a European star. Now watch the banter flow behind the scenes as the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder give their advice on how to make next season your best.

Design match boots for Arsenal vs. Man Utd

julien.derosee — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:16:01 GMT

Design match boots for Arsenal vs. Man Utd

On 08.11.08 Arsenal play Man Utd in one of the biggest games of the season. And Nike is giving you the chance to get involved by designing the match boots for your favourite player.

You could motivate Arsenal to a rousing victory with boots for Cesc, William or Theo. Or you could trigger a stellar Man Utd performance with boots for Carlos, Wayne or Rio.

Start by designing their boots at NIKEiD.com. The players will then hand-pick their favourite pair and wear them when they take the pitch at the Emirates.

And you and a mate could be there. You'll receive two tickets for the match along with a pair of boots signed by the player, and a pair to wear. Not to mention bragging rights for the rest of your life.

Start designing

Nike Live: The Fabio Cannavaro Show

ryangriffin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:57:57 GMT

Ever since Cesc Fabregas took all the plaudits with his very own TV show, fans across Europe have been wondering who’ll be next to hit the silver screen.

Now the wait is over, as the lovely Giorgia Surina and comic trio The Three Medusas kick off part one of The Fabio Cannavaro Show. First up, Il Capitano himself reveals the pre-match rituals that have brought him so much success. His top tip? Don’t wind up Gennaro Gattuso…

Juve legend Ciro Ferrara rolls up to discuss Fabio’s early days in part two, while celebrity ballboy Fulvio Varnacano gets the crowd on his side with the hilarious story of his career on the sidelines.

Part three sees Fabio, Marco Materazzi and co. take part in a studio strength challenge. With the crowd baying for more, even Giorgia flexes her muscles.

Gianluca Zambrotta crashes part four to explain what it takes to be a Captain Marvel like his compatriot Fabio, and three young hopefuls compete to prove that they’ve got what it takes to be the next Cannavaro.

Finally, world-conquering Italian coach Marcello Lippi joins the part five party to discuss that penalty shoot out and relive Fabio’s finest hour in front of the studio audience…

It’s what you’ve been waiting for. It’s Nike Live: The Fabio Cannavaro Show.

Press play for part one.

Merc SL on sale – better move fast

ryangriffin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:59:56 GMT

Remember that damp night in Moscow? The first and only time this amazing Mercurial Vapor SL concept boot hit the turf?

When Cristiano Ronaldo netted his crucial goal that night, there wasn’t a sports store in the world stocking the boot that helped bring the European crown back to Old Trafford.

Now all that’s changed.

The ultimate concept boot has finally made it out of the lab and onto the shelves of NikeStore. And with only 2000 pairs up for sale in Europe, the only thing shifting quicker than the boxes off the shelf will be the lucky feet that finally get to wear them.

The tills start ringing on 15th August. Get your order in quick, or you won’t see ‘em for dust.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Dual Goals

ryangriffin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:56:37 GMT

Running and scoring. Two things you can never get enough of.

It’s a simple formula: grab one ball, two goals and four cones. Add a combination of electric pace and razor sharp finishing. What do you get? Dual Goals: this week’s featured Bootcamp drill.

Hit the BootRoom

ryangriffin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:51:06 GMT

If Fabio Cannavaro says ‘My boot is an extension of myself’, you know it’s worth dropping into the new BootRoom at London Oxford Street’s NikeTown to design personalised footwear to match every aspect of your game.

Get measured for the right width fitting, pick a sole plate to match your surface, then select your material, colour and embroider your unique iD.

Presto. A pair of boots made just for you – because they were created by you.

Want to give your whole team the edge? Drop by for a session on the Digital Team Builder and design anything from a 3-a-side kit to full squad apparel, right down to the cut of the cloth, your club crest and sponsor.

Because every player is different. And every one deserves the best.

Bootcamp's here. So where are you?

ryangriffin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:21:23 GMT

On the beach? On your backside at home? Or hitting Bootcamp like you mean it?

You know the first ninety minutes of the season is gonna hurt. But with a world-class training programme under your belt, it's your opponents who’ll really feel the pain.

Get stronger. Get fitter. Get faster.

Get ready for Bootcamp.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Rebound

ryangriffin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:14:06 GMT

Bounce back to full fitness in time for the new season with "Rebound", the latest Bootcamp drill of the week.

This one's all about control. Twist and turn with the ball glued to your toe, then knock an inch-perfect pass and accelerate as you receive it back.

Constant movement and constant control - two ingredients for next season's complete footballer.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Step It Up

ryangriffin — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:51:08 GMT

Step up your game with Andrés Iniesta in Bootcamp's Drill of the Week.

When a game's deadlocked and there's no room for manoeuvre, it's the fastest feet that open up space for a match-clinching moment of magic.
Now do what The Man says: shoot. Score. Relax.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Back to Back

ryangriffin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:32:45 GMT

Two goals in fifteen seconds. It’s every striker’s dream.

See Klaas Jan Huntelaar take on Bootcamp’s ‘back to back’ drill, and find out how the explosive combination of pure pace and deadly striking prowess helps him take his game to the next level.

And remember: if you’re not gasping for air at the end of this drill, you’re not doing it right.

Bootcamp delivers

ryangriffin — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:21:42 GMT

European champions are made in the off-season.

There aren’t a whole lot of players treading turf who know what it takes to get signed by Barcelona aged twelve, get a call-up to the Spanish national team at 22, and go on to win La Liga, Champions League and European medals before they hit 25.

Andrés Iniesta is one. Now listen up, while one of Bootcamp’s most decorated pros tells you what you should be eating, how you should be training, how hard you need to push yourself to make it happen.

Iniesta’s at Bootcamp. Shouldn’t you be?

Summer just got shorter

ryangriffin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:48:03 GMT

Registered for Bootcamp yet? Here's all the motivation you need.