Graeme Le Saux pulled his boots back on for The FA's coaching master-class on Monday, as part of the 'Football Needs You' campaign to encourage 50,000 new Level 1 coaches by 2011.

And the former Chelsea and England player was quick to highlight the necessity for people to be involved in volunteering in their community and reflected on how he was influenced by his first coaches as a kid in Jersey.

The cultured full-back has not yet been bitten by the managerial bug, but after almost two decades of playing at the highest level he maintains a high regard for those people that give up their time to help young players.

"Management is not for me at the moment," he admitted. "But I've done a lot of work in the coaching community both here and for UEFA and you realise the level of commitment and the sacrifices you have to make are huge, so you have to be fully prepared to put the rest of your life on hold.

"I was lucky that when I retired, I spent time doing other things with my family and that was really important," he said. 

"That's not to say that I never would be interested but right now, life has got enough other things to keep me busy. At the same time, I am very passionate about the game and I want to be involved and that is why this sort of initiative for me is great because I believe in it whole-heartedly and you can really make a difference."

After training with a number of the faces of The FA's 'Get Into Coaching' campaign, Le Saux spoke of his willingness to be involved with the programme.

He added: "I think the factors at grassroots that are important are what The FA is doing here and that's giving people the framework and opportunity to deliver football and to be coaches. If that is successful, then the young players, at whatever level, will improve and it's creating an opportunity for the really talented players to go into more competitive and elite football.

"First and foremost, I think football is there to be enjoyed and to help you develop as a person and then as a player and those things are really important to me."

The former Chelsea defender certainly looked to still be enjoying his football, as he nutmegged one hapless, un-named training participant and his love of the game has not diminished. With all the successes Le Saux enjoyed during his career, it seems that medals and fame pale into insignificance when he recounts his early playing days that helped install in him a real enthusiasm for coaching in the community.

"There was a team that I played for in St Paul's in Jersey, and that is really where I did my apprenticeship because after that I turned professional," he revealed. "I had a great coach there and great players and people around me and that's because I was 16 and playing in the youth and senior sides. I was very naïve and I needed good mentors and they took a lot of responsibility to look after me. If someone tried to intimidate me on the pitch, they would step in and they were good mentors.

"We were very successful but it was all based on a good background of people. Whatever level you reach, everyone in football has come from the same place.

"It's hugely important to the community to get involved and most sports that your children play, people work for voluntarily. I think it's a responsibility to teach children football at any level and people should be proud to teach young people."

Graeme Le Saux was speaking at the launch of The FA's Football Needs campaign which aims to recruit 50,000 new coaches and 8,000 referees by 2012. For more info, log onto www.TheFA.com/footballneedsme