As an undergraduate and Master’s alumni of UCFB and GIS, Chris Hough is well placed to give the once over on life as a student here, first as a BA (Hons) Sports Business & Coaching graduate, and then latterly the MSc Football Coaching & Analysis programme.

Initially joining UCFB at Burnley in 2014 before the move to Manchester and the Etihad Campus in 2016, Chris enjoyed coaching experiences with the Turf Moor club which has benefitted him to this day.

It was these kind of experiences and opportunities which drove him to UCFB in the first place, he says. This included time at Macclesfield Town as a First Team Opposition Analyst.

After graduating with First Class Honours in 2017, Chris returned to undertake his Master’s degree, and subsequently securing his job at Accrington Stanley as a Foundation Phase Coach, before taking on the role of Head of Academy Analysis and Individual Player Development at the EFL club.

Chris says: “From the start I tried to go the extra mile and be proactive and open minded in terms of opportunities, and throughout my time at UCFB I took part in a lot of extracurricular activities. The main thing with the Master’s course, especially, is that it will be a small group when people come in to do guest talks and sessions – that was the best part of it for me and how I got the job at Accrington.”