Chelsea hire mental coach behind famous New Zealand rugby "no d***heads" policy

06 February 2023 , 18:08

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Chelsea have hired Gilbert Enoka (Image: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Chelsea have hired the man behind the New Zealand rugby union team's famous "no d***heads" policy in a bid to help Graham Potter's side become winners.

Gilbert Enoka has spent the last seven years as the All Black's manager for leadership after 15 years working as their mental skills coach. Now, though, Enoka is stepping into English football in what's being described as a short-term consultancy role at Chelsea, who've spent big under co-owner Todd Boehly but are yet to find a winning formula.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the Blues have sought the Kiwi's services to develop a world-class winning culture at Stamford Bridge, having splashed out a whopping £553million on transfers and changed managers since Boehly and his consortium took over from Roman Abramovich 10 months ago.

Enoka's role as a mental skills coach with New Zealand is regarded as one of the driving forces behind the team's dominance in Test rugby union during the early 2010s. His ability to help players manage lofty expectations and perform under pressure paid dividends as the All Blacks won back-to-back World Cups.

In 2011, New Zealand battled their way to glory on home soil before repeating their triumph four years later in England. The All Blacks' victories proved that they were no longer 'chokers' on the biggest stage, a label which had stuck with them following their 2007 quarter-final defeat to France and below-par displays during the 2005 British and Irish Lions series.

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At the centre of Enoka's philosophy is for every player to take responsibility for their actions. The former PE teacher would make New Zealand's players take turns to sweep the changing rooms after games to ensure that big egos didn't detract from the team's culture.

Gilbert Enoka's work with the New Zealand All Blacks is well-regarded (Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Enoka was credited for helping spark the turnaround, but rugby union isn't the only sport which he's been involved in. He also spent six years working to improve the New Zealand cricket team's mental fortitude and three years with the nation's netball side, the Silver Ferns.

Now, it's Chelsea who're hoping to enjoy the fruits of Enoka's work, particularly under-fire manager Potter. Having won just one of his last seven games, the Blues boss is struggling to find his feet five months into the job.

With Boehly backing him to seemingly no end when it comes to finances, Potter remains under scrutiny as Chelsea sit ninth in the Premier League after 21 games. Boosted - or burdened, depending on your perspective - by eight new signings in the January transfer window, there's still a chance that Chelsea can turn their season around and finish in the top four.

Graham Potter remains under pressure at Chelsea (Robin Jones/Getty Images)

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"I'm confident with the potential we have. I'm confident with the ability we have within the group," Potter affirmed following last Friday's dour 0-0 draw with west London rivals Fulham. "What we need to do now is gel the team.

"That's the challenge, that's what we have to do. There's still more football to play, but at the same time, I don't want to worry about what we're going to do in four, five months' time. I need to focus on the next day, the training session and the next game."

Nathan Ridley