In terms of youth development there are few clubs to rival the sheer productivity of Middlesbrough's Academy, and Dave Parnaby has overseen a system that in recent years has led to a long line of promising young players making the grade on Teesside.

While Liverpool have taken recent headlines for winning back to back FA Youth Cups, no club can rival the consistent success of Boro's programme that has delivered so many players to the first team.

Parnaby is not one to rest on his laurels however, and has recently signed up to the UEFA Pro Licence course to further his coaching knowledge and strive for even greater success.

Speaking exclusively to TheFA.com, Parnaby explained: "It's a challenge at our club to try and improve on what we have done already with th academy, but we have to up the ante as it were.

"Hopefully the knowledge I acquire on these courses can be transfered into my managerial role at the Academy. Although I'm working with youth football, this course will enhance my managerial skills and my experience.

"You also learn from the other coaches who are on this course, you find out how other people operate. You find new strategies and how to deal with people above you as well as the staff under your wing."

Although he admits that some aspects of the course are more relevent to senior management, Parnaby is convinced that the knowledge he will gain can only be good for himself and for Middlesbrough.

"Obviously in my role it's a question of whether you will ever use it," Parnaby said. "But looking from a club point of view it's great that myself and Steve Agnew are on the way to the coaching qualification for next summer.

"We're very positive and Middlesbrough are very supportive of The FA and what the do as the governing body.

"From a personal point of view this course, as with other coaching courses, has a habit of taking you out of your comfort zone and putting you into stressful situations.

"When you get into those positions it's all about learning and that will move you on as a person and as a coach. It's down to the individual how much you want to learn from them."

Looking into the detail of the course, Parnaby believes that all those who manage to attain the award will have earned themselves a 'degree in football'.

"The course itself brings many different aspects into your thinking, and it's a very high level," Parnaby commented.

"If you walk away having completed the course at the end of the year, you end up with a football degree as it were.

"People can certainly say that it's a Masters in soccer, and put in those terms no degrees are easy and this course is not different. It's tough and stressful, but it's very worthwhile."