Irwin Backs Coaches Project

Youngsters looking to pursue a career in football coaching can now do so the Manchester United way.

In a unique partnership, Manchester United Soccer Schools have teamed up with Warrington Collegiate to launch an exciting new two-year BTEC football excellence and coaching course to help create the next wave of coaches. Based at the collegiate’s new £30million state-of-art Orford Park Project, just 20 miles from Old Trafford, the course will teach students aged 16-24 to prepare, manage, deliver and evaluate the MUSS coaching programme for participants of all ages and abilities.

Work experience with Soccer Schools will be available for the best students and it is hoped that the new Warrington Collegiate course will also produce some strong candidates to compete for future coaching positions at MUSS.

Speaking at the launch of the course at Orford Park Project yesterday, Head of Manchester United Soccer Schools Edoardo Abis said: “By combining the expertise of the Warrington Collegiate staff and our own Manchester United Soccer Schools coaches we will be offering students the best possible opportunities to develop personally, academically and as coaches.

“The collaboration means that those who complete the course will have a qualification, a base in good academic teaching and also grounded, real-life practical experience. It’s going to be highly valued by employers, not least by us at Manchester United Soccer Schools.”

Paul Hafren, Principal of Warrington Collegiate highlighted the importance of the association with Manchester United, saying: “This is a wonderful opportunity for young people in Warrington and surrounding areas who are interested in the wider aspects of the game and we look forward to seeing these young coaches develop and progress.”

Also at the the launch event was United legend Denis Irwin, who knows all about top quality coaching from his 12 years at Old Trafford but believes there’s a shortage of quality coaches in the UK and hailed the impact that the new course could have.

“We are playing catch-up on countries like Spain and Germany, but hopefully this can help,” says Irwin. “Having done so much work with the Soccer Schools in places like Mumbai, Singapore and South Africa, I know this programme will provide a fantastic opportunity for young people to go and learn how to not only coach, but to coach to the standards of Manchester United. It’s the way forward and I’m sure the programme will be a tremendous success.”

The course will begin at the start of the next academic year, in September 2012, and will see 32 successful applicants work with existing collegiate staff and a lead coach from Manchester United Soccer Schools. “This is a state-of-art facility and it’s close by to Manchester, so we can regularly come and support this programme and guide the students,” says Soccer Schools’ Programme Manager Mike Neary. “It’s very exciting, it’s innovative, it’s where we want to be and crucially it’s going to help us grow and allow us to deliver a wider range of projects both in the UK and overseas. We hope this is the first of many such courses across the country.”

For more information on Manchester United Soccer Schools visit www.manutdsoccerschools.com