Bristol Rovers boss Ian Atkins.
Atkins' coaching diet
Sunday, 03 July 2005.
Bristol Rovers manager Ian Atkins has hailed The FA and their UEFA Pro Licence course as the 'best in the world'.
Atkins is currently studying for the highest coaching badge possible at Warwick University along with a host of Premiership managers.
And he believes it proves the quality of coaching in England is 
as good as anything on the continent.
"It has been a fantastic course and very refreshing. It's great to share ideas and I think it freshens you up," Atkins explains.
"A lot of stuff you might have done before, but you have forgotten and this course just reinforces that thinking. But you pick up new things as well and even if you only add 10 per cent from a certain project you are still improving.
"Whatever people say, the English FA is the best in the world. People like Dick Bate, Martin Hunter, John Peacock have seen it and done it at international level.
"And this is the best badge in the world and to achieve it is a great honour it itself.
"We have got great coaches in England. I think sometimes the foreigners have been flavour of the month when they have come over and done well, but sometimes we criticise ourselves too much. We have great people with great knowledge and they really work hard.
"There are a lot of foreign coaches coming over and getting opportunities which are stopping the good English 
managers getting the top jobs.
"I think people are over-critical of English coaches and that is wrong. I still think the best coaches and best managers in the world are English."
Atkins believes achieving the Pro Licence badge will help him to help his Bristol Rovers side gain promotion from Division Two in the forthcoming season.
But he insists he will still be keen to undertake more coaching courses to increase his own knowledge, in the same way that experienced managers such as Sam Allardyce and Steve McClaren are doing currently at Warwick.
"The more courses you do the better. If you don't buy a raffle ticket you won't win the prize," Atkins adds.
"I am doing this course, but once I have finished I won't stop trying to learn. Even if I only advance one per cent I am still improving and that's what it is all about."