WINCHESTER-born Premier League footballer Steve Guppy is set to host his National 3v3 Final in Florida in just two weeks’ time.
Guppy, who made 146 appearances for Leicester between 1997 and 2001, has transformed his love for the game into coaching out in the United States after a successful playing career concluded with the Rochester Rhinos in New York.
The National 3v3 Final is set to take place in Panama City Beach in the Sunshine State of Florida after several years travelling around the United States and Canada hosting sessions for young players aged between nine and 16.
Players are assessed based on their dribbling and defending skills, with their scores being recorded in a leaderboard. The best players from the leaderboard are picked to play in the National Final to have a chance at becoming the ultimate 1v1 player.
For 57-year-old Guppy, the prospect of bringing his sessions to the South Coast has been a long time coming.
“It’s something that I’ve been doing across America and Canada for the last few years but it’s been a project in waiting for the last 30 to 40 years. One-versus-one work is something that I’m obsessed about and I believe it’s the strongest tool for developing young players.”
Steve Guppy speaking after successfully bringing his 1v1 Formula training sessions to Southampton, England.
“The reason I’m doing this is to try and pass on those lightbulb moments players like myself got from a young age. I was very fortunate to have those moments as a kid as it was like a partnership between my dad and I. He’s the reason I’m here today.”
Steve recounted his early days playing football with his father Keith in their back garden, and reflected on those days as vital towards his development into the player he became.
“He had me in the garden from as young as three or four, running at him, dropping my shoulder and bursting past him.”
Keith Guppy, father of Steve, was a goalkeeper who had spells at West Bromwich Albion as well as a stint at local side Winchester City, where he played alongside Saints legend Terry Paine.
“He [Keith Guppy] played with a guy called Terry Paine, which people down in this neck of the woods in Southampton would know very well. My dad marvelled at how Terry would play and beat players with his body movements, and he wanted that for me.”
Once Guppy had hung his boots up after a successful career, his coaching journey certainly became a unique pathway from playing to now hosting coaching sessions around North America.
In 2009, just one year after Guppy announced his retirement, he was the assistant coach for three years at Colorado Rapids under Gary Smith, where he won the MLS Cup in 2010.
Guppy’s coaching career continued with spells at Sunderland, the Republic of Ireland national team and Nottingham Forest working as an assistant coach under his former manager Martin O’Neill.
He later returned across the pond to America, where he took up a coaching role at Nashville S.C as an assistant under Gary Smith again, before switching to 1v1 work following his departure in 2024.
