Antony Papadopoulos

For a long time, I used to think that more was always better.

More training. More sessions. Less rest. Saying no to everything else. I thought that was what being serious meant.

But I was wrong.

Over time, I realised that constantly locking yourself away and training non-stop can actually be a detriment. It catches up with you eventually, whether that’s mental fatigue, loss of motivation, or physical injury.

What’s made the biggest difference for me is finding the right balance. Training hard, recovering properly, and still allowing myself time to switch off, socialise with friends and family, and live a normal life outside of football.

That balance has made me:

More consistent

More focused

Less burnt out

And honestly, a better footballer

But this is important — balance doesn’t mean doing nothing.

You still need to work hard. You still need to train on recovery days, look after your body, and stick to a structured plan. You don’t skip the work. You earn the rest.

The difference now is that when I do relax, I actually let myself relax , because I know the work has been done.

Football is a long game. If you want longevity, you need to train smart, not just hard. Structure, recovery, and balance will take you further than burnout ever will.

6 days ago | [YT] | 120

Antony Papadopoulos

What if improving as a footballer wasn’t just about training harder but understanding yourself better?

This past week gave me a moment to step back and reflect on what life as a professional footballer actually looks like beyond the 90 minutes.

The preparation.
The routines.
The recovery.

The mental battles that no one really talks about.

In my latest video, I take you through a week in my life as a pro footballer — from training and match preparation to recovery, mindset, and the work I’m doing off the pitch building my training platform for other players.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, or you’re a player trying to understand what it really takes to stay consistent and perform week after week, this one will resonate.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 7

Antony Papadopoulos

One of the questions I’ve been asked the most over the years is:
“If you’re a footballer, why do you post so much on social media?”

And honestly… the answer has always been the same: why not?

Football is my job, my passion, and always the priority. I’ve been playing professionally for years and that will always come first. But during lockdown, when football stopped, I picked up my phone, went into the garden, and started making content just for fun.

No plan, no strategy.
Just enjoying myself.

Fast forward five years and it’s become a massive part of my life. Creating content has opened doors, built relationships, and given me opportunities that simply wouldn’t have happened by “just playing football.”

Through the process I've learned about training properly, nutrition, mindset, and everything that goes into performing at a high level, from real experience with top coaches, physios, analysts, and players I've worked with.

So I started sharing it.

And that eventually led me to build my own football training app… something I’m genuinely proud of. It’s become a place where I can put all the things I wish I knew as a young player, gym work, drills, nutrition, game understanding, all in one spot for players who want to improve.

And yes — I still play professionally alongside it.
Yes — I still train every day.
Yes — football always comes first.
But I’ve realised something important:

You’re allowed more than one passion.
You’re allowed to try things outside your “main identity.”
You’re allowed to build something for yourself.

People will always have opinions, especially when you do something different.
Some will support it.
Some won’t understand it.

But the truth is: the people who tell you not to do something are usually not in a position you want to be in anyway.

So whether you play football, run a business, study, or create content...If you enjoy it, if it adds to your life, if it gives you purpose… keep going.
Don’t shrink your ambitions to make someone else comfortable.

I’m going to keep playing, keep creating, keep building my app, and keep enjoying the process. Because you never know where something can take you unless you give it a proper chance.

— Antony

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 74

Antony Papadopoulos

January 1st. Two days earlier I’d been recalled from my loan spell, buzzing with confidence after a good run of games.

I’d been told I was starting back in the league 1, first game - Charlton at home.

Nervous, but excited.
One of those moments every player dreams about.

I warmed up with the team, everything felt right… 10 minutes before kick-off the game gets postponed.

I remember standing there gutted, thinking, “Alright, cool. Next week then.”

One week later…
I’m not even in the 18-man squad.

That’s football.
It hits you fast.
Highs and lows you never see coming.

One minute you feel unstoppable, the next you’re questioning everything.

But here’s the thing, that’s exactly why you have to stay locked in, even when things flip on you.

Because the pain of not being ready, not pushing, not believing… hurts more than the disappointment itself.

Football will humble you.
Football will test you.
Football will pull opportunities away from you as quickly as it gives them.

But it will also reward you if you stay in the fight.

Most players hide when things don’t go their way.

They stop training properly.
Stop believing.
Start blaming.

But the real difference comes from staying sharp when it would be easier to switch off.

Ask for more.
Push for more.
Train when you don’t feel like it.
Keep going when you're not in the squad.
Prepare like you’re starting, even when you’re not playing.

You should be more scared of not trying than you are of failing.

Something to think about.

Antony.

4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 171

Antony Papadopoulos

Last week I spoke about opportunities — in football and in life.

How they come when you least expect them…

And the truth is, most people miss them because they hesitate, overthink, or wait for the “perfect time”.

But the players who stand out, the ones who progress, level up, and actually make things happen, are the ones who grab opportunities with both hands, even when they’re not 100% ready.

They back themselves. They take the risk. They move forward.

And that doesn’t just apply on the pitch. It applies to your development, your training, your discipline, and your future as a footballer.

So if you’ve been watching from the sidelines… waiting… telling yourself you’ll start “next week”…

Well, here’s your opportunity...

I’ve now been a professional footballer for over six years. During that time, I’ve learned so much about nutrition, gym training, recovery, and on-pitch development from top professionals.

That’s why I created my own training app.

It started as a small idea, but two years later it has grown into one of the biggest football platforms on the market. Everything I’ve learned is inside this app for you to follow.

And with Black Friday here, this couldn’t be a better time for you to be reading this.

I’m running an exclusive 30% off discount on the app. This is the cheapest it will ever be, and once you subscribe, your price is locked in forever.

I promise that if you follow the programmes and the guides consistently, you will see a huge improvement in your performance.

Click the link below to claim your discount and get started.

papstraining.passion.io/checkout/289622b4-0a45-431…

Antony.

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 31

Antony Papadopoulos

"Best advice for feeling like you're not making progress?"

Trust me, I’ve been there.

Rejected so many times when I was younger. Signed for an academy at 15, almost released at 17, pushed my way to a pro contract, got released again… and three years later I was in League One.

Progress never feels like progress when you’re in it.

No one thinks it’s possible until you’re the one who does it.

Most players quit right before things start to turn. If you can keep going when it feels like nothing is happening, that’s where you separate yourself.

This is the part where almost everyone gives up.
Don’t be one of them. Keep going.

Antony.

1 month ago | [YT] | 118

Antony Papadopoulos

You can learn a lot about life from football.

It teaches you discipline, teamwork, and how to deal with setbacks, but most of all, it teaches you how to recognise opportunities.

On the pitch, if you’re not scanning constantly, you’ll miss the gaps, the chance to play that incisive pass, make the right run, or take the shot.

There’s only a split second to decide.
Hesitate for even a moment, and the gap closes.

The players who make it through aren’t always the most talented , they’re the ones who commit. No second guessing, no doubt, just full belief that they’ll make it.

That’s exactly how life works too.
Opportunities come and go all the time, you either back yourself and go for it, or you let it pass.

A few years ago, I had to make that same choice off the pitch. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but I backed myself, started creating content, building my app, and putting everything into it.

Once I went all in, things started to change.
Because the truth is, you can’t expect to beat the ones who are fully committed if you’re only half in.

So whatever your dream is, football, business, or anything else, keep your head up, keep scanning, and when the gap opens...
Go for it with everything you’ve got.

You only need one breakthrough to change the game completely.

Antony

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 103

Antony Papadopoulos

30th May 2020 — the first time I ever got behind the camera...

It was lockdown. I was training on my own every day with nothing else to do, so I decided to start documenting my journey.

It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Five years later, there are now over 270,000 followers across all my socials, and I’ve built my own training app for footballers to use and improve their game.

At the beginning, there were doubters, people who didn’t understand it, people who laughed or called it “cringey.” It would’ve been easy to stop… but I didn’t.

Football has always been the priority, but creating content gave me another sense of purpose, something I genuinely enjoy doing.

Now, the same people who once laughed are asking how I did it...

And the answer has always been the same: consistency.

From the gym to the pitch, I’ve been putting in extra hours since I was a kid chasing the dream of becoming a pro. Of course, I still have off days, everyone does, but the key is to never let them become a habit.

So if you’re someone surrounded by doubt or negativity, use this as proof.

Ignore the noise, keep working, stay patient, and trust that success will come...One way or another.

Antony

1 month ago | [YT] | 101

Antony Papadopoulos

They only believe in you once the progress becomes visible.

Before that, they doubt you, question you, and tell you to be realistic.

The hardest part isn’t the work itself.

It’s showing up when you’re tired, when you’re doubting yourself, when nobody sees the effort you’re putting in and the results still haven’t shown up yet.

That’s where the mindset kicks in.

Keep going when nobody is watching.

Keep going when it feels like nothing is changing.

Because that’s exactly when everything is.

Antony

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 120

Antony Papadopoulos

New YouTube video is out now! 🎥

It’s been a tough and challenging few months, and in this video I open up about everything that’s been going on, plus share some match highlights from last week’s game ⚽️

Would love to hear what you think in the comments! Don’t forget to like, comment & subscribe , we’re on the road to 20k! 🙌🏼

2 months ago | [YT] | 4