Think football. Play football.
The Van der Laan Total Football sessions are a player development programme led by Robin van der Laan, built around the principles of intelligent, modern Dutch football.
Details
The focus is on developing players who are comfortable in possession, confident under pressure, and able to make the right decisions in fast-changing game situations.
Sessions are structured to reflect the ideas behind “total football” — encouraging versatility, awareness, and technical quality in every position.
Through a series of high-quality coaching sessions and a detail-driven approach, Van der Laan Total Football helps young players raise their technical level while also improving their football intelligence.
It is not just about how to play but how to understand the game.
Total football, modern development.
Playing Career
Robin van der Laan is a Dutch former professional footballer best known in England for his influential spell with Port Vale in the early 1990s.
In 1995, he earned a move to Derby County, stepping up to a higher level of English football. He later played for clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers (on loan) and Barnsley before retiring in 2001 due to injury.
Coaching
Following his retirement from professional football, Robin van der Laan moved into coaching and non-league management. After academy roles with Derby County F.C. and Port Vale F.C., he relocated to Canada, where he founded the RVDL Academy, before returning to England and establishing a long-standing association with Newcastle Town F.C.
