As we inch ever closer to the start of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 season, we are excited to bring you an exclusive pre-season interview series with players from the world’s top hockey nations participating in the “League of the Best”.
This series dives into the minds of the sport’s finest athletes and coaches, uncovering their thoughts on the upcoming season, personal goals, and the strategies their teams are crafting to compete at the highest level. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, these interviews provide a unique glimpse into the passion, preparation, and drive that fuel the teams vying for glory.
In today’s interview we speak with the new Belgium Red Lions head coach Shane McLeod…
Please, give us your impressions about the upcoming new Hockey Pro League season, starting at the end of this month.
The FIH Hockey Pro League comes at a very important stage for our program. For the first time in many years we have the opportunity to onboard many new and exciting players into our group. We will be using this competition to increase the training and playing age of these players.
After Paris 2024 a lot of things have changed in the Belgian men’s team, with players retiring and new names added to the group. Can you elaborate a little on this?
Everything has its time and for some of the Belgium red lions it has become time for them to move onto their next stage of life. They can do this knowing that they have made history for Belgium but more importantly they have left a program that the new players are very keen to take on the challenge of playing big games at big moments. The group that we have is a group that will evolve over the next few years. For some this will be their first time playing for the Lions and therefore there is a lot of excitement and energy in the group.
The Red Lions will start with a first leg in Amstelveen, playing against world’s numbers 1 and 2. What are your ambitions for this double-header against the Netherlands and Germany?
This will be a baseline test for our players. We will not be the only team starting back international hockey post Paris but we would be foolish to expect us to be at our final product standard. We need to play against teams that will test us in many areas. Having said that, we will have a team that will gain from every match that they play. I also hope that the hockey world enjoys the first view of some of Belgium’s stars of the future.
What are the team’s objectives for this Pro League 2024-2025 season?
Our aim is to give experience to players that will compete for future glory. Learn from each match and build our program ready for the Europeans 2025 and then World Cup 2026
