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http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/co...oventry-city-backroom-staff-92746-30874962/2/
LEE Carsley has been promoted to Andy Thorn’s back room staff after a hugely successful first year of coaching at Coventry City’s Academy.
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The former Sky Blues skipper will take charge of a newly established ‘development squad’ which will be based at Ryton and bridge the gap between the Academy and the first team, as well as helping to coach the senior players with Steve Harrison and the manager.
“Carso’s coming up and he’ll be in and around it for match days so he’ll be with me on a Saturday,” revealed the City boss of the 38-year-old, who has guided the club’s Under-18s to second place in the FA Premier Academy League.
“I have known Cars for a long time now – from our time at Everton – and he needed to go and work with the youth team first of all to learn because standing on the side is totally different to playing.
“I spoke to him when he finished playing last year and he felt it would be really difficult to handle players he had just finished playing with.
“So he’s been away from them for a year and he’ll come back in, having benefitted more by working with the youth team.
“He’s got a feel for it now and he’s a good lad. He knows the game and has great experience, and he’ll work the development squad and with the first team because you can’t operate with just one coach.
“He’ll also keep an eye on the youth team and looking at the next group coming into the development squad.”
The development squad will include newly retained apprentices Jordan Willis, Josh Ruffels, Aaron Phillips, Joe Henderson, Will Roberts and Billy Daniels, as well as young pros Shaun Jeffers and Callum Wilson, while the likes of Conor Thomas, Gael Bigirimana and Cyrus Christie are expected to be part of the first team set-up.
However, the squad will play in a league and be supplemented by players who are not getting a game in the first team with the league allowing five over-age players.
“They’ll play in a league, a bit like the reserve league,” said Thorn who is keen to restore a regular reserve-style run-out for players to get fitness and form and push themselves for a place in the first team – a facility the club have not had since the club’s decision to pull out of a reserve league, largely due to financial reasons, under Micky Adams.
“You can play five over age players so it will be like a reserve league as well and it’s important we have that.
“As well as the young boys have done this year it is far too early for all of those boys to come in to the first team.
"But they have gained a lot of experience but this gives them another level to learn before they come in.
“Plus I can keep an eye on their development as well because they will be based at Ryton rather than the Higgs Centre.
“They’ll train twice a day and get stronger and see what it’s about.
"We’ve taken five or six apprentices plus a spill over from the first team which includes Shaun Jeffers and Callum Wilson who will get regular games.
“In an ideal world Jeffers would have been out on loan all season, learning his trade and playing against men.
"But I’ve had to have him in the squad and he’s travelled to more grounds this season than anyone and not really played.”
LEE Carsley has been promoted to Andy Thorn’s back room staff after a hugely successful first year of coaching at Coventry City’s Academy.
Check BA's Latest Offers!
The former Sky Blues skipper will take charge of a newly established ‘development squad’ which will be based at Ryton and bridge the gap between the Academy and the first team, as well as helping to coach the senior players with Steve Harrison and the manager.
“Carso’s coming up and he’ll be in and around it for match days so he’ll be with me on a Saturday,” revealed the City boss of the 38-year-old, who has guided the club’s Under-18s to second place in the FA Premier Academy League.
“I have known Cars for a long time now – from our time at Everton – and he needed to go and work with the youth team first of all to learn because standing on the side is totally different to playing.
“I spoke to him when he finished playing last year and he felt it would be really difficult to handle players he had just finished playing with.
“So he’s been away from them for a year and he’ll come back in, having benefitted more by working with the youth team.
“He’s got a feel for it now and he’s a good lad. He knows the game and has great experience, and he’ll work the development squad and with the first team because you can’t operate with just one coach.
“He’ll also keep an eye on the youth team and looking at the next group coming into the development squad.”
The development squad will include newly retained apprentices Jordan Willis, Josh Ruffels, Aaron Phillips, Joe Henderson, Will Roberts and Billy Daniels, as well as young pros Shaun Jeffers and Callum Wilson, while the likes of Conor Thomas, Gael Bigirimana and Cyrus Christie are expected to be part of the first team set-up.
However, the squad will play in a league and be supplemented by players who are not getting a game in the first team with the league allowing five over-age players.
“They’ll play in a league, a bit like the reserve league,” said Thorn who is keen to restore a regular reserve-style run-out for players to get fitness and form and push themselves for a place in the first team – a facility the club have not had since the club’s decision to pull out of a reserve league, largely due to financial reasons, under Micky Adams.
“You can play five over age players so it will be like a reserve league as well and it’s important we have that.
“As well as the young boys have done this year it is far too early for all of those boys to come in to the first team.
"But they have gained a lot of experience but this gives them another level to learn before they come in.
“Plus I can keep an eye on their development as well because they will be based at Ryton rather than the Higgs Centre.
“They’ll train twice a day and get stronger and see what it’s about.
"We’ve taken five or six apprentices plus a spill over from the first team which includes Shaun Jeffers and Callum Wilson who will get regular games.
“In an ideal world Jeffers would have been out on loan all season, learning his trade and playing against men.
"But I’ve had to have him in the squad and he’s travelled to more grounds this season than anyone and not really played.”
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