The High Performance Podcast

Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Peter Crouch between them have won Champions League titles, Premier League medals, over 200 England caps. And yet not one of them ever lifted a major trophy for their country.

In this roundtable, three men who were inside the 'Golden Generation' dressing room finally say what went wrong. The media that made players scared to perform. The manager who wouldn't listen. The moment the England coach was asking Beckham for a signed shirt. And why, for most of them, playing for England never felt free.

But this isn't just a post-mortem. It's highlights what culture, leadership, and environment actually do to elite performers — and why getting those things wrong can waste a golden generation of talent.

Thanks to our partners on this episode:

Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au
Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au
AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs
Do Health 👉 Get ahead of your health, don't react to it. Head to https://highpfrmc.com/dohealth-hpp-au to sign up now

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James Milner retired this week as the Premier League's all-time appearance record holder. 658 games. 24 years. Never once dropped his standards.

This week Jake and Damian sit down to ask the question that nobody else is asking — not what he achieved, but how someone holds their standards every single day for that long. What does it cost? What does it give you? And what can the rest of us learn from a man who never once let it slip?

Listen to the full episode with James here: https://pod.fo/e/20a01e

Thanks to our partners:

Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au
Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au
AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs
Do Health 👉 Get ahead of your health, don't react to it. Head to https://highpfrmc.com/dohealth-hpp-au to sign up now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nico Rosberg spent 31 years building his identity around a single goal to become Formula 1 World Champion. In this episode Nico reveals the stark reality of achieving his ultimate dream, explaining why his 2016 triumph brought relief rather than euphoria and why he walked away from a £100m+ fortune at his absolute peak.

He strips back the curtain on his legendary, fierce rivalry with childhood friend Lewis Hamilton, describing the psychological warfare of their title fights and the conscious rewiring required to stop yielding in wheel-to-wheel battles.
Nico also opens up about his secret mental training regime at a time when psychology was viewed as a weakness. From his foot violently shaking on the accelerator in Abu Dhabi to reframing failure in a locked hotel room, he shares a masterclass on how to train your reaction to fear.

This episode offers a raw, gripping look at the psychological cost of winning at all costs and what it truly takes to conquer your inner critic.

Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au

Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au

AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

Do Health 👉 Get ahead of your health, don't react to it. Head to https://highpfrmc.com/dohealth-hpp-au to sign up now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the medical system tells you you’re clear, but the hardest part of your recovery is actually just beginning? In this special roundtable episode, brought to you in partnership with Postcode Lottery, we explore the unseen side of living through and beyond cancer.

Joining Jake in the studio are legendary solo sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur, Frank Fletcher (CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust), and Josh Rands, a young survivor who rebuilt his life after a rare cancer diagnosis at just 19. Together, they share a raw, open conversation about why true bravery isn't always something you choose, the reality of life when treatment structures suddenly fall away, and how reclaiming independence on the open sea can give young people their futures back.

It’s a powerful look at resilience, the daily grind of running a purpose-driven charity, and why finding a genuine sense of belonging is often the ultimate medicine.

Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au

Postcode Lottery manages lotteries for 20 charities, a minimum of 30% of each ticket price goes to charity. 18 plus, conditions apply, not available in Northern Ireland

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Fear doesn't disappear when you become successful. It just changes shape.

In this episode, Jake and Damian go into the archive to ask a question most of us avoid: what are you actually afraid of — and what's it costing you?

They're joined by clips from some of High Performance's most memorable conversations: Phil Heath on navigating darkness to find your highest level, Scott McTominay on the self-doubt that never left him through 21 years at Manchester United, Jameela Jamil on 15 years of saying yes to everything and no to herself, and Robin Van Persie on the moment he realised he was the one making it heavy.

Plus: why imposter syndrome isn't a syndrome, the difference between overthinking and thinking deeply, and what actually happens when you stop fighting a feeling and just name it.

Listen to the full conversations:
Jameela Jamil https://pod.fo/e/225b9e
Scott McTominay https://pod.fo/e/2154f0
Phil Heath https://pod.fo/e/2313e6
Robin Van Persie https://pod.fo/e/18789
Ronda Rousey https://pod.fo/e/23ec96

Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au

Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au

XTB 👉To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB-hpp-au

AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

Next week on High Performance: Nico Rosberg — Formula 1 World Champion. Hit subscribe so you don't miss it.

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