Steven Gerrard believes more former England internationals will follow his lead and pursue a career in coaching and management as a result of significant changes to the FA coaching pathway.
The former Three Lions and Liverpool captain, now in charge of Scottish giants Rangers after a spell as Liverpool’s U18s coach, believes the new courses give candidates “time to grow” and are less "intimidating" than previous years – changes he believes will make coaching a more attractive career path for players who are considering life beyond playing.
“A lot of ex-players over the years have been put off by the amount of work you have to put in on the [coaching] courses,” explained Gerrard to The Boot Room.
“I think [in the past] it was almost a test on the courses and people were intimidated to fail and didn’t want to be put in the spotlight in front of all the other people that were on the course,” he added.
Gerrard completed his UEFA A Licence with tutor support from the PFA (the Professional Footballers' Association) while he was in his role at Anfield and praised the new course design which involves in-situ coach education support within the club environment.
“The good thing about The FA now is they’ve changed the courses, they’ve evolved the courses and they’re more enjoyable," he added.
“You’ve still got to put the work in, but you get time to grow. So when you are judged or tested, you feel more ready.
“Also, there are bespoke courses available which is better for your time individually and people come out to you. I think the courses and the thought of going into coaching now is a lot more enjoyable and less intimidating than it was years ago.”
Read the full interview with Gerrard on our new Boot Room website, where you can also find coaching interviews with the likes of Gareth Southgate, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, Brendan Rodgers, Graham Potter, Phil Neville and more.
