Anthony Dean

Unbelievably, Anthony has been coaching goalkeepers since the age of sixteen!

Anthony is another J4K coach who has played in goal since a very early age, and.. stayed in the No 1 spot! Anthony has played for a couple of teams in the Rymans league, Hullbridge FC and Aveley FC, were he enjoyed league and FA trophy cup football. He also had spells with Great Wakering Rovers and Canvey Island.

Anthony impressed enough that Colchester United were interested in signing him- but he was cruelly told, 'even though he was good enough, he was not big enough.' (How many parents can relate to this story?).

Anthony got very downhearted about Colchester's cruel words and it was only the fact that he had trained with Andy Gunn since he was twelve, who was Anthony's friend, coach and mentor, that kept his interest in goalkeeping alive. Andy was the keeper coach for Norwich and Colchester youth at the time, and who also ran his own goalkeeper schools. He was that impressed with Anthony, that Anthony eventually become Andy's right hand man, and became a goalkeeper coach for him for a few years.

Andy finished his coaching schools, but Anthony has continued to be a goalkeeper coach with his own business for the past six years, coaching many children and adults. He teamed up with J4K in October, 2006. Anthony said he'd found his niche in becoming a coach because of Colchester's cruel words; and that this has spurred him on to help many goalkeepers, who are not endowed with height, to be as good as their peers. As a result of his coaching, he has helped many goalkeepers move onto several professional clubs throughout his region.