Head of Sports Psychology

Liverpool FC; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

Financial guidance & mortgage advice

Car salary sacrifice

Cycle to Work

Season ticket loans

Discounts & cashback

Will Writing Service

Employee Assistance Programme

Health Cash Plan

Volunteering opportunities

LFC perks & priority tickets

Job summary

Liverpool FC is seeking an experienced sport psychologist to support Men’s First Team players with confidential performance psychology, individual plans and integration into training and match prep.

You will collaborate with the Head Coach and multidisciplinary staff, uphold HCPC standards, and help players manage recovery, pressure, and transitions in a high-profile football environment.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to deliver sport psychology in elite/high-performance sport.
• Experience supporting elite athletes individually and in teams under high pressure.
• Strong ethics, confidentiality, consent, safeguarding and information governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide confidential one-to-one sport psychology support to Men’s First Team players.
• Develop and review individual psychological performance plans aligned with player objectives.
• Design and deliver squad interventions across the season.
• Collaborate with Medical and Performance multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated support.
• Maintain professional boundaries and HCPC-compliant practice.

Skills

Sport psychology delivery

Elite performance experience

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Confidentiality & ethics

Coach communication

Education & training provision

Education

Postgraduate qualification in Sport & Exercise Psychology

HCPC registration

Chartered status (where applicable)

Job description

What you will be doing:

• INDIVIDUAL PLAYER PERFORMANCE AND SUPPORT

  • Provide confidential one-to-one sport and performance psychology support to Men’s First Team players, tailored to individual performance and development needs.
  • Develop and review individual psychological performance plans aligned with player objectives, coaching priorities and the wider interdisciplinary performance plan.
  • Build players’ psychological skills in areas including confidence, focus, emotional regulation, decision-making, coping with pressure, preparation and performance routines.
  • Support players through selection and non-selection, injury, rehabilitation, return to performance, loss of form, major fixtures, career transitions and other high-demand periods.
  • Maintain clear professional boundaries and facilitate timely referral where specialist clinical mental-health or other support is required.

• TEAM, TRAINING AND MATCH PERFORMANCE

  • Design and deliver squad interventions across the season in response to identified team, performance and competition needs.
  • Embed practical psychological principles within training design, competition preparation, matchday processes, recovery and post-match learning.
  • Support leadership, communication, cohesion, collective resilience, role clarity and the behaviours required within an elite First Team environment.
  • Work closely with the Head Coach and coaching staff to translate psychological concepts into relevant, practical and football-specific approaches.
  • Provide psychologically informed support during periods of intense fixture congestion, decisive competition phases, change and heightened external scrutiny.

• COACH, STAFF AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY SUPPORT

  • Provide trusted sport psychology consultation to the Head Coach, coaching staff and members of the Men’s First Team leadership group.
  • Operate as an integrated member of the Medical and Performance multidisciplinary team, contributing to appropriate player, availability, rehabilitation and performance meetings.
  • Collaborate with Medical, Physical Performance, Nutrition, Performance Analysis, Coaching and Player Care colleagues to deliver coordinated player support.
  • Provide education, guidance and practical resources that increase the capability of coaches and staff to create psychologically informed learning and performance environments.
  • Contribute psychological expertise to player development, readiness and return-to-performance discussions while protecting consent, confidentiality and professional boundaries.

• HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE

  • Support the Director of Medical and Performance and wider First Team leadership in developing a psychologically informed, player-centred high-performance environment.
  • Promote effective communication, accountability, learning, psychological safety and appropriate professional behaviours across the daily performance environment.
  • Contribute to the development of player leadership, ownership and self-regulation while respecting the standards and demands of Men’s First Team football.
  • Build credible, trusted relationships across a diverse, international playing and staff group, adapting communication to different cultures, experiences and needs.
  • To build and lead the wider Sports Psychology methodology and provision at the Club.

• PROFESSIONAL GOVERNANCE, MONITORING AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Practise in accordance with HCPC standards and all relevant professional, legal, safeguarding and Club requirements.
  • Maintain appropriate confidential records, informed-consent processes, information sharing and referral pathways, ensuring practice remains within professional competence and scope.
  • Maintain HCPC registration, appropriate professional supervision, reflective practice and continuing professional development throughout employment.
  • Develop an annual psychology delivery plan aligned to Men’s First Team and Medical and Performance priorities, with proportionate evaluation of reach, quality and impact.
  • Provide the Director of Medical and Performance with appropriate service-level updates, emerging themes and priorities without compromising individual confidentiality.
  • Contribute to innovation, applied research and evidence-informed practice that strengthens the Club’s performance support provision.

What we are looking for:

• Postgraduate qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology, or an equivalent relevant discipline.
• Current HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist, with appropriate competence to practise in sport and exercise psychology, and relevant professional accreditation or chartered status where applicable.
• Substantial applied experience delivering sport psychology within elite or high-performance sport, ideally in a senior or lead practitioner capacity.
• Demonstrable experience supporting elite athletes individually and delivering team‑level interventions in high‑pressure performance environments.
• Experience working effectively with senior coaches and within multidisciplinary medical and performance teams.
• Strong working knowledge of professional ethics, confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding, record keeping, clinical referral pathways and information governance.
• Evidence of ongoing professional supervision, reflective practice and continuing professional development.
• Ability and willingness to work flexibly around the demands of elite football, including training, matchdays, travel, evenings and weekends as required.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Applied experience within men’s professional football, preferably in a First Team environment.
• Experience supporting players through injury rehabilitation and return to performance in collaboration with medical and physical performance practitioners.
• Additional training or demonstrated competence in evidence-based psychological approaches relevant to elite sport.
• Experience designing, monitoring and evaluating an integrated psychology service across a full competition season.
• Research experience or established links with higher education and applied sport psychology networks.

To reward your hard work and commitment we offer a competitive salary, 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays and the option to purchase up to an additional 5 days) and access to our benefits kit bag which includes but not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme matching up to 5.5%
• Life Assurance Cover
• Free financial guidance and mortgage advice
• Car salary sacrifice scheme for affordable driving
• Cycle to Work scheme to keep you active
• Purchase season ticket loans for easier commuting
• Exclusive shopping discounts & cashback with top retailers
• Will Writing Service for future planning
• Employee Assistance Programme for confidential support
• Medicash Health Cash Plan for everyday healthcare needs
• Volunteering opportunities to give back to the community
• Special LFC perks – retail discounts, partner offers, free LFCTV GO access, and priority tickets for matches, events & concerts…and much more!

At Liverpool Football Club, we have an unwavering commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and are always looking to making a positive difference in the communities that we operate within. We are proud of our achievements in this area; maintaining the Premier League Equality Standard Advanced Level, becoming a founding signatory of the Football Association’s Football Leadership Diversity Code and being recognised as a leader in this important area on and off the pitch. We take our responsibilities in this area seriously and through the work being done across the club, we are committed to increasing the diversity of our people and becoming an increasingly inclusive workplace for all. We are committed to hiring great people representative of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills across our entire business. If you share our enthusiasm and passion for inclusivity, then we want to hear from you.

Liverpool FC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all Colleagues and Volunteers to share this commitment. This role is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.