What characterises a complete midfielder

Jesper Mathisen is known as a hard-working, versatile midfielder – a type who is equally useful defensively and offensively. For youth football coaches, the question is not "how do we create a new Mathisen", but "how do we help players develop multiple aspects of the game simultaneously".

A complete midfielder must be able to run extensively, win duels, release teammates and find space themselves. In youth football (6-12 years), this is not about choosing one of these qualities, but about giving all players the opportunity to try all of them. NFF's guidelines for youth football state that children should play in different positions throughout the season, precisely to develop breadth.

Concretely: if you coach a team of 9-year-olds, let each player try wing, central midfield and defence over five to six matches. Rotate positions deliberately, not randomly. Write it down before the match, so you stick to the plan even when you get caught up in the game.

Work capacity develops through play, not running

One characteristic that marks Mathisen as a player type is work capacity: the ability to participate in attack after attack, then recover defensively. Many coaches believe this requires fitness training. In youth football you achieve the opposite: children who run distances without the ball lose motivation.

Instead: organise sessions where the ball is always in motion. One example is "four goals game" where two teams attack their own pair of goals (two small goals per team, placed on each end line). Players must sprint to defend both their goals, but they do it because they're chasing the ball, not because the coach said "now we'll work on fitness".

Another approach: narrow pitches. On a pitch that is 20 metres wide instead of 30, players must turn more often, participate closer to each other, and run more in total – without experiencing it as exhausting.

Game intelligence: reading play before it happens

Player types like Mathisen read the game early. They position themselves where the ball is going, not where it is. In youth football you see this when a player moves towards space before the teammate plays the pass, while others wait until the ball is in the air.

You develop this by stopping sessions and asking questions. Not "what did you do wrong", but "where do you think the ball will end up now". Let the player point. Play on, stop again after five seconds: was it correct? Why/why not?

A practical training moment: play 4 versus 4 without goals, where the team scores by stopping the ball on the opponent's end line. Players must constantly think "where is my teammate running, where should I be to be an option". No one can stand still and wait – the game forces movement and understanding.

Ball control under pressure: training with resistance

The Mathisen type is confident on the ball even when an opponent closes in. In youth football you see players who control the ball when alone, but lose it immediately under pressure. The difference is training volume with active opposition.

Concrete exercise: 1 versus 1 in an 8x8 metre square. The attacker receives the ball, must take at least two touches before goal attempt (small cone goal), defender starts one and a half metres away. Switch roles after each attempt. The player learns to shield the ball with their body, take the ball to the "right" foot, and turn under pressure.

Increase gradually: 2 versus 1, where attackers must cooperate. Then 2 versus 2. Always keep the space tight – a wide pitch gives false mastery because it's too easy to run past without resistance.

Combination play: when to pass on, when to go forward yourself

A complete midfielder knows when to pass the ball on, and when to carry it themselves. This decision is not learned through instructions, but through game situations with clear objectives.

Organise "3 versus 3 + 3" where three neutral players (in yellow bibs) always help the team with the ball. The team in possession thus has 6 versus 3. Scoring requires that all three of the team's "own" players have touched the ball before finishing. This forces passes, but the team must also move the ball quickly to find openings.

Another variant: count passes. Five consecutive passes give points, but scoring from a shot gives three points. The team must constantly choose: should we keep safe possession, or go for the goal? Players learn to read which situation they're in.

Duels: winning the ball without fouling the opponent

Physical play is part of football, also at youth football level. But regulations in Norway deliberately limit physical intensity, especially for the youngest (5v5 often has no tackling). Nevertheless, players should learn to compete in duels.

Training starts with shielding: two players, one ball, a 5x5 metre square. The player with the ball must keep the opponent away for 10 seconds. Switch. Players learn to use the body legally – stand between ball and opponent, wide stance, arms out for balance (not pushing, but taking space).

Then: matches with a rule that the ball must be shielded for two seconds after receiving before passing or shooting. This turns shielding from an abstract exercise into a game skill.

Age-adjusted expectations: what is realistic when

A complete player type like Mathisen has spent 15-20 years developing the skills. In youth football it's about giving players exposure to all aspects, not mastery of all.

For 6-8 years: expect that players can shield the ball for 2-3 seconds, run actively for 4-5 minutes before rotation, and understand "run where there's space". Don't expect them to read several moves ahead, or vary passing length deliberately.

For 9-12 years: players begin to understand positions in relation to each other. They can learn "when the defender stands here, run there". They can vary between dribbling and passing on. But complex tactical patterns – "when the right winger comes inside, you fill the width" – require repetition through many months, not weeks.

MyTeams' squad planning tool can help you keep track of who has played which positions through the season, so everyone actually gets varied experience.

The coach's role: model the player type, not the career path

When players or parents mention Jesper Mathisen or other professional players, they are often interested in the career path: which team, what age, how many goals. For a youth football coach this is not useful information.

What is useful is to look at what the player type actually does on the pitch. Show video clips (30 seconds is enough) where Mathisen wins the ball, releases a teammate, runs into space without the ball. Stop the video, ask questions: "Why did he run there? What would have happened if he had stayed put?"

Then: create an exercise that mirrors that situation. Not the whole pitch, just the small zone – three players, one space, one decision. Players get to try the specific movement ten times in a row.

At the next match, point out when a player does the same. Not "good job", but "see, you did exactly what we trained – you ran into space before the ball came". The player connects video, training and match into one understanding.