worcestercityfc.com: Welcome to Worcester City Football Club, Ian. Please tell The Faithful a little about yourself.
"I am 42 years old this year and live in Daventry in Northamptonshire. I have played and coached in England and Australia, where I lived for several years during my thirties. I have two young children and love spending time with them when not at training or games. I worked at Birmingham City for four seasons as a youth coach until the 2015-2016 season. I then moved on to the coaching staff at Leamington FC. We had a great season and narrowly missed out on immediate promotion back into the National League North, but unfortunately lost in the Play-Off Final last month. I played my last competitive game a couple of seasons ago at 40 years old for Daventry Town FC in the Southern League Central Division. Somehow I also managed to score a goal.

worcestercityfc.com: Aside from your new role at the club, where do you work?
“I work for the Football League. I manage the apprenticeship programs of young players at nine professional clubs throughout the Midlands. The job entails the overseeing of the young players’ technical development as well as their education progress and overall welfare whilst at their respective clubs.

worcestercityfc.com: Besides football, what are your hobbies?
“I don't have much time for hobbies outside of football as I have two young children who keep me very busy. I love spending time with them away from the game. I played a fair bit of tennis when I lived in Australia. I am a bit of a football geek really, therefore, any opportunity to watch and study the game is really all I do if not with my young family. ”

worcestercityfc.com: Tell us about your footballing past.
“I started off at Aston Villa where I spent 5 years as a youth player and apprentice professional. I then moved on to Stoke City after a short spell at VS Rugby. I also played for Rushden and Diamonds where I won a league title as well as Stevenage, Nuneaton and Kettering. I also played out in Australia which is where I started my coaching career with Sydney FC. The pace of the game was a little slower in Australia but it was very technical. The players in Australia are extremely fit and technically very good in general. Due to the heat, the tempo of games can be slower with an emphasis on more build-up play from the back. The game is becoming much more technical out there and the A League is getting stronger each year.

worcestercityfc.com: What will you bring to Worcester City Football Club?
“Hopefully having the experience of playing and coaching at professional and non-league level will allow me to play a part in getting the best out of all players at Worcester City FC. I have a thorough knowledge of both levels and lots of contacts in the professional game as well as at this level. Having worked at professional clubs for several years I will bring a level of professionalism and solid organisation to the club along with an enthusiasm and winning mentality. Hopefully, this will add to the great work Carl and John have already done at Worcester City.”

worcestercityfc.com: What do you expect from Worcester City?
“Having played against Worcester City in my time as a player, I know it's is a very strong non-league club with an excellent fan base who really get behind their team. I am extremely excited to join the coaching staff and I am looking forward to working with the players and staff at the club. I hope to play an integral part in helping the club progress further and finish as high up the Conference North table as we possibly can this coming season.”

Photo Credit: 'Sally Ellis Leamington FC'

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