Two former Australian international footballers have been speaking about what makes a good coach, as they take their next steps into their managerial career.
Luke Wilkshire, who earned 80 caps for Australia during his playing career, is now a coach at Central Coast Mariners Academy.
He featured for clubs including Middlesbrough and Bristol City as a player, before going to Europe playing for FC Twente and Dynamo Moscow before returning to his native land.
Now a coach, he is offering his words of wisdom to the next generation of Aussie footballers.
He said: “You’ve got to be able to connect with the player. The player’s got to be able to connect with the coach.
“You’ve also got to have the knowledge to pass on, so without knowledge you’ve not got much to pass on, have you?
“Any coach that really has those aspirations is going to realise just how much you’ve got to sacrifice. It’s just the same as a player. As a coach, I don’t see a difference.”
Wilkshire’s former Australia teammate David Carney is now coaching at Wollongong Wolves, after playing for clubs including Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Sheffield United.
He said about being a good coach: “When you’re a player, you’ve only got yourself to think about. As long as you’re in peak fitness, you concentrate on your own game, your own role.
“But when you’re a coach, you’re getting 20 other players to do their roles. You need to know all the answers to every player. Not just on the pitch, off the pitch as well.
“There’s a lot of courses you can take, and it’s important to keep learning. I know GIS is a big one.
“For me being in my first year, I’m sure I’m going to make a lot of mistakes, but as long as you learn and carry on and give it you’re all, there’s no reason as to why you can’t be successful.”
To find out more about GIS’ coaching courses in Australia, click here.
