Mental preparation is the key to the success of a professional footballer

If you still feel that something is missing, and are not sure about your performance on the gridiron, it means you are not mentally ready. In fact, mental preparation before the match is one of the most important parts for a professional footballer.

Even though you have got a perfect portion of training, but when you are not ready mentally, you and your team will not be able to win the match. How can you win, if you can't beat your own mind? Before you and your team lose just because you are not mentally prepared, find out what mental preparation before a soccer match is in this article.

The importance of mental preparation before a football match

Many say that pre-match preparation requires only two things. The first is 90% mental preparation and the remaining 10% physical preparation. Believe it or not, the brain is the most powerful muscle part in your body.

The brain will control everything you do, control how you feel when you wake up, manage the knowledge you have and affect your whole body. Without a good mental preparation before the game, you will not be able to reach peak performance. Make mental preparations before the following matches so that you are not only ready for the match but also ready to win.

1. Get enough sleep

According to Wayne Rooney, England national team player who now plays for Everton, mental preparation before the game is most important for him is getting enough sleep. Rooney himself tried to sleep for the eight hours before the match, but he would not force himself to sleep. Usually Rooney sleeps when he is tired of training and wakes up feeling his body getting back to good health.

Likewise with Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, a midfielder who now plays for Liverpool. Quoted from the Telegraph report, getting enough sleep is the key so that Chamberlain's performance on the field increases.

2. Think positive

If you are too worried about the outcome of the match later, that is what will hinder your good performance on the field. Force your mind to always think positively, think of something that inspires you that can always encourage you to never give up, focus on the match and your performance, and keep practicing according to your portion to win the results of the match.

Never doubt your abilities. Any negative thoughts, fears and doubts that enter your mind, ignore them. Tell yourself that you will do your best.

3. Use visualization techniques

One way to focus your mind on mental preparation before a match is to use visualization techniques. Try to visualize or imagine what the match will be like, thoughts of what challenges you will face. This method is also used by professional soccer players to make them better prepared for a match.

Usually they will think about the worst possibilities such as, how to deal with the opponent's attack if they do something bad, how to deal with the strongest player on the opposing side, and what the conditions are like on the field.

Think of the challenges that have the potential to occur on the ground. With this in mind, the focus of your mind is only on the match, not on anything else. This will also help you to deal with any possible scenarios. On match day, your mind will be fully prepared to face your opponent and your body will automatically know what to do.

4. Know your own body condition

You have to remember that you are not the only one who wants a win. When you are working to get your body ready for the match, it is important to "listen" to your body, not to overload it if it is very tired. This is the best way to physically prepare yourself to avoid injury.

Forcing a body that is hard to get tired of continuing to practice will only make you hurt yourself. Find a balanced portion of exercise that suits your body condition.

5. Listen to music

If you feel tense before the game, try to get rid of it by listening to your favorite music. There must be a signature song that can lift the mood. Some songs can even get you excited right away.

You can also listen to this song with your team members to sing together or dance together to break the tension in the dressing room. Also do stretches or movements stretching to get rid of your nervousness.

Winning a match is not easy, but it's also not a difficult thing. You just have to believe in your own abilities.

Remember that the Portuguese national team could become European champions in 2016 without Christiano Ronaldo and no one thought that Leicester City could become champions of the Premier League by surprise. Nothing is impossible on the soccer field, you just have to believe in your own abilities. Happy competing!