Nicolas Nerinckx interview: the importance of goalkeeper integration with the team

Belgian goalkeeper coach Nicolas Nerinckx discusses how goalkeeper-team alignment is crucial in scouting, training, and philosophy. 

“Act reliably for your teammates but act unpredictably for the opponent.”

Those are the words of Belgian goalkeeper coach Nicolas Nerinckx, currently plying his trade at Belgian second division side RWDM Brussels. 

Following a youth playing career at Anderlecht as part of Belgium’s 93’ generation, alongside the likes of Romelu Lukaku, knee injuries and a strong passion for coaching promoted Nerinckx to end his playing career early and embark on a new journey as a coach.  In 2017, he returned to Anderlecht’s academy at just 23 years old as a youth goalkeeping coach. 

During his time there, Nerinckx worked with several promising talents including now-Standard Liege goalkeeper Mathieu Epolo and Lommel SK goalkeeper Matthias Pieklak, before joining the club’s U23 side. There, alongside coaching, he played an active role in first-team recruitment. The Belgian’s next destination was City Football Group outfit Lommel SK in 2024 to work under former Arsenal defender and assistant manager Steve Bould.

The words that opened this article are a testament to Nerinckx’s belief in the importance of the integration of the goalkeeper with the rest of the team. 

“I want to win, but in a beautiful manner,” he says, speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com. “I was raised in an academy that was all about winning in the technical, proper way. I like to see teams play out from the back.”

However, there are nuances to Nerinckx’s outlook on playing out, prompted by adaptations to specific scenarios. “If you’re a team that plays out from the back, you can become too predictable and easy to press, and you’ll get punished.”

The key to this decision making process is an understanding of what the outfield unit is trying to accomplish. 

At RWDM, Nerinckx explains how “the goalkeepers are integrated into specific build-up drills for 45 minutes, at least two days per week. I also try to prepare my goalkeepers with video analysis. I send it to the goalkeeper and say we’ll talk about it during or after training. Overall, I have my individual approach with the theory and video, but I strongly believe in designing sessions collaboratively with the head coach to integrate the goalkeepers with the outfield players as much as possible to make them comfortable in a variety of game-realistic situations.”

Nerinckx firmly believes that a goalkeeper must fully understand the team’s outfield tactical framework, which influences his conduct during training sessions. “I see myself as an assistant coach with a specialisation in goalkeeping. Coaching goalkeepers today extends well beyond shot-stopping drills. It requires a clear philosophy on building from the back, managing goal kicks and defensive set pieces, guiding the defensive line, organizing box defending, and coordinating offensive marking. It's all connected.”

Over the years, Nerinckx has evolved, and his growing confidence and knowledge have created a cooperative dialogue between outfield players. This has allowed the Belgian to swap perspectives with others and develop stronger bonds. 

“As a goalkeeper coach, you also  have the opportunity to leave a mark on other players as well. You need to get the trust of other players. Sometimes, I offer advice to outfield players. In unit-specific drills or individual development programmes, the assistant coach and I might design a striker’s finishing drill where I provide input from a goalkeeping perspective, for example showing the striker how to adjust their approach to gain an advantage over the goalkeeper. This season, I have also been advising defenders to strengthen collaboration with the goalkeeper, all aimed at minimising a striker’s scoring opportunities.”

“In goalkeeper training, we start by working on technical skills, but I rarely tell my goalkeepers how to make a save. In my philosophy, the “how” of making a save is defined as execution. But to effectively analyse a goalkeeping action, I consider: position, perception, decision-making, and execution. This framework allows me to deliver clear, structured, and targeted feedback to my goalkeepers relevant to specific phases of the game.

“I’m just trying to help them with their qualities, perform better and develop. I look at things from an analytical point of view. Once you have this ongoing cycle, then there’s trust. We have synergy and collaboration between our units.”

Nerinckx’s training schedule at RWDM is varied and organised, balancing goalkeeper-specific work and team activities. “I have a 45-minute session with the goalkeepers every day. On Monday, I'll create game situations where shot stopping and cutbacks are being trained in announced and unannounced drills.

“We might have Tuesday off, then on Wednesday we’ll do 1v1s and shot stopping from a short distance with a focus on power endurance for a more physical approach. 

“On Thursday (match day minus two), we focus on match scenarios, including crosses, dead balls played in behind, and defensive set pieces. The physical load is lower, and we moderate between repetitions for a more tactical viewpoint. We also look for scenarios we need to solve for the upcoming weekend, such as set pieces, transitions or build-up. On Friday, the focus shifts to sharp reactions and game-based scenarios.” 

Part of the development of his 360 approach to coaching was spending time as an Anderlecht scout between 2020 and 2023. 

“In my role as first team goalkeeper scout in the summer of 2020, our team was tasked with recruiting two new goalkeeper profiles. Working within a limited budget, we looked at over 300 goalkeepers worldwide. That summer, we successfully signed Timon Wellenreuther and Bart Verbruggen. Six years later, Timon is the captain of Feyenoord and Verburggen is a number one in the Premier League.

Whilst compiling lists of potential players, there was one profile I was particularly drawn to: Antonin Kinsky, who is now at Tottenham Hotspur. I had tracked him from day one, when he was at Dukla Praha, and I had reviewed his performances with the Czech Republic U17s at the World Cup. 

“After researching his personality and hearing numerous positive reports, I placed him at the top of my recruitment list. But, his move to Tottenham made him a target that was no longer feasible within the Belgian market.”

Finds like that should take the Belgian goalkeeper coach far. But still in the formative years of his coaching career, Nerinckx has plenty of learning to go - and energy to give. When asked for his advice to young coaches, he replies: “Dream big and trust in your convictions, even when it demands sacrifice. Pursue what you believe in. That mindset will help you grow and open doors to opportunities you deserve.”