Georgia Stanway reveals ex-Man Utd mentor is key to her consistency & success

Georgia Stanway has stepped up as a key senior England player under Sarina Wiegman at the age of just 24. But the Bayern Munich midfielder has revealed how a former Manchester United mentor has been key to her consistency and success.

Stanway had a huge 2022. The creative midfielder garnered favour with her impressive contributions during the triumphant Euros, having not previously been assured of a starting place until Leah Williamson was deployed in the centre of defence. Never one afraid of a tackle, her sometimes reckless nature also drew attention, but she is a versatile and pivotal addition to the Lionesses.

Now at her second World Cup, the once box-to-box midfielder has been given more freedom and ability to be directly involved in movements going forward, a reward for her maintained consistency.

"You’re subconsciously aware of the fact that, although I'm still young, I'm in an environment where I'm not young anymore. I've been to a few major tournaments," Stanway said, speaking to the media ahead of England's semi-final clash with Australia.

Adding her successes at both club and country level, winning Euro 2022 with England and the Frauen Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in her first year with the club, she revealed she had to mature.

"I want to become a consistent player, and a consistent player on the field in my actions, in my technical actions, in getting less yellow cards, as stupid as it sounds, and just being more consistently involved in actions, so goals, assists, being a forward player that constantly contributes in actions going forward and creative actions, and yes just little things like that," she continued.

Speaking on her consistency, one of the major things that has been vital to her ability to find uniformity in performances was the introduction of a mentor. Stanway revealed after a tough time at Manchester City, her management company, CAA Base, introduced her to former Manchester United player Luke Chadwick who has become a key figure in her career.

"I'm not afraid to say it, I went through a time at City where it was a little bit up and down in terms of my mentality, my position, everything was changing and that person was my go-to in terms of getting clarity on my position, clarity on what I wanted to achieve in that season."

Speaking a few times a week, concentrating on her personal goals, retired winger Chadwick provides a sense of clarity to for her helping her with mentality, her position, change and achieving her goals- at first it was making the Olympic team. Now their relationship has morphed into helping her achieve targets like more goals and assists or off-pitch things to reach success.

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Stanway picks targets at the start of season to focus on to guide her to success and talks these through with Chadwick. Revealing that he had his own struggles during his career, whilst different from Stanway's, the ability to resonate those with someone who understands has been key in her development and success, and has helped mould her into the senior player she is now regarded as.

"I want to be having consistency in my lifestyle as well as on the pitch because everything affects everything," she added. "My mentor is the person that can take my stresses away from me so my focus is on football. So if there's anything that I need then I go to him.

"And I think the most important thing is that he removes himself from any equation, and he's just so focused on making sure that he improves the individual and wants them to be the utmost successful individual as a player and as a person."

Adding how she is big on the numbers, Stanway uses Chadwick is a sounding board to challenge or confirm her opinions on a game in order to achieve the consistency she has began to build since she started working with the former Premier League winner.

"I could come away from the game feeling on top of the world and then my mentor could bring me back down to Earth, and say 'oh, no, your passing was shocking today', so it’s vice-versa and it's just kind of [about] staying level and staying consistent and being consistent in the way that I am as a person and the way that I am on the field," she explained.

But having a person away from club, country and the FA has been vital, revealing that it comes down to the smallest of things like a good luck message ahead of a game, something he never fails to send that have been so crucial. Following up each game with a positive message, allowing Stanway to pick when she next wants to have the conversation has been also incredibly important, leaving it on her terms which, she added, is something that resonates the understanding that the pair have.

Now focusing on the World Cup at hand, Stanway has excelled in midfield, named player of the match in England’s opening game, but maintained a high consistency and level head to but avoid picking up a second yellow card that would have seen her suspended for one of England’s group or knockout games - that could have caused a loss for the European champions.

"This tournament, I’ve spoken to my person every matchday minus one in the evening before the game and that just allows me to process the information that we’ve got from England and process the information that I’ve done throughout the season and just knowing that the work is done and just to go out there and play my game," she said.

"I still think I have to play 'disciplined Georgia', especially while VAR is on show, because you never know in football,” she said. "I'm actually proud of myself for lasting five games with only one yellow," revealing her choice to play more sensible if there was only a minimal chance of winning a tackle

Whilst at the tournament, Stanway revealed she has seen her family more over the past six weeks compared to the year she has lived in Germany, something that has helped her distract from the game and switch off in turn helping her to maintain her consistency on pitch.

"I will always be the jokey Georgia, and the Georgia that takes everything a bit less serious, and I’ve kind of had to learn over the years when to take things serious and when not to take things serious. And yes, I think it’s [about] being consistent as a human and just being able to have conversations,” she finished, referring back to the impact her mentor has had on her growth and possible captaincy role in the future.

"I just try and do my job, and I think especially over the last year, I talked about it earlier, is I’ve just maintained consistency. And I think I'll try and lead by example in terms of being a catalyst at moments, if there does need to be a tough tackle, or if there does need to be an action that can change something, I will try and deliver that. I just kind of try to lead by the way that I'm playing."