Premier League celebrates commitment to developing coaching talent

Since 2017, the Premier League has been investing in a world-leading coaching and workforce development system to support and cultivate leaders within the academy system.

An example of how this investment is helping to develop expertise and diversity across the professional game in England was highlighted recently when coaches, coach developers and football leaders graduated from a wide range of Premier League courses and programmes spanning coaching, leadership and workforce development.

"It was a great opportunity to celebrate the hard work and dedication they've committed to their ongoing personal development and we look forward to seeing them as they progress on their future journeys.," said Neil Saunders, the Premier League's Director of Football.

"We hope that we see their careers flourish and that they're either going to be in the Premier League one day or they help to develop players who will grace the pitches of Premier League matches.

"The Premier League is built on having the best football and a big part of that is working with our clubs to ensure that we're developing the future generation of home-grown players, coaches and leaders. Our football development programmes are a core part of that and something that we're committed to."

More than 120 graduates took part in the celebration evening at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool, the largest ever cohort to do so.

Graduates were recognised from a variety of initiatives, including Elite Academy Managers, Elite Heads of Coach Development, Elite Coach Accreditation Scheme, Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme, Professional Player to Coach Scheme, Future Coach Developers, Academy Leaders, Future Academy Leaders and Heads of Community.

The focus of these programmes extends beyond qualifications and also look towards building the skills, judgement and behaviours required to lead and coach effectively and to develop Academy players both on the pitch and off it.

Adi Yussuf, a former forward for the likes of Mansfield Town, Grimsby Town and Yeovil Town, was eager to stay in football after his professional playing career came to an end.

With the help of the Professional Player to Coach Scheme, which, delivered in partnership with the English Football League and Professional Footballers' Association, has been successful in its aim to support former players from a variety of backgrounds into full-time coaching roles, Adi graduated with a Diploma of Higher Professional Football Coaching and is now Under-18s assistant coach at Leicester City.

"It's a great day for me," Adi said. "Becoming a professional footballer made my dad proud, graduating has made my mum proud... so I have made both of the two most important people in my life proud.

"When I look back on the last two years of this course, the biggest thought I have is why does it have to come to an end? The experience I have got has been unbelievable. It has has been so beneficial, I wouldn't be in this situation without it. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and hopefully I can give back to the people who have organised it."

Eva Egginton was another graduate collecting a Diploma of Higher Education in Professional Football Coaching, which she worked towards through the Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme (CIDS).

Launched in the 2020/21 season, CIDS has successfully supported coaches from a wide range of backgrounds to secure full-time coaching roles in English professional football.

"This has been an unbelievable opportunity to have the courage to be able to step into a full-time environment that I would have ever had the chance to do," said Eva, who is now Foundation Phase Operations Lead and Coach at Nottingham Forest.

"The workshops that they've put have been really well designed in terms of individual growth and development. It's given me confidence, networking, being able to talk to like-minded coaches across different clubs and experience different environments. I didn't expect to have got as much out of it as I have."

The Premier League celebrated the graduation alongside its higher education providers, Leeds Beckett University and University of Portsmouth, whose academic support continue to strengthen the development of the football workforce.

"To date, we've graduated over 250 students on these innovative and industry-informed courses that sit at the very forefront of professional education in football," said Neil Weston, Associate Dean, School of Psychology, Sport & Health Sciences at University of Portsmouth.

"Throughout our collaboration, I've been consistently struck by the Premier League's attention to detail, their commitment to excellence and determination to create courses that prepare students not just for careers in football but more generally sets them up to make a significant and positive impact to the players and staff that they work with."

Peter Mackreth, Dean, Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University also attended the evening to offer his congratulations to the graduates.

"As part of the celebration, we encourage you to reflect on your journey and be reminded of the distance travelled both personally and professionally," he said. "Through hard work, curiosity, and a commitment to continuous improvement, the qualification will help you to make a positive difference to the coaches, players, and people you work with as well as the broader football and coaching community.

"Today is not only about individual achievement, it is also an opportunity to acknowledge the progressive approach taken by the Premier League in supporting the professional development of coaches. Designing and delivering bespoke practitioner-focused programmes in genuine collaboration with academic institutions is complex and relatively rare within the sector.

"That makes this partnership and these programmes something to be genuinely proud of."

Strong partnerships across the system remains central to this coaches and football leaders development work.

The Premier League collaborates with the English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association, The Football Association and League Managers Association in a shared approach to supporting and developing the coaching and leadership workforce.

"I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to step into new challenges after retiring from playing," said Maheta Molango, CEO of the Professional Footballers' Association.

"So, to see former players commit so wholeheartedly to new opportunities gives us all immense pride. The game is lucky to have you in it, and you should take confidence in all you have achieved throughout this programme."

What is the Elite Coaching Plan?

The programmes celebrated at the graduation in Liverpool form part of the Premier League's Elite Coaching Plan (ECP), designed to improve pathways for coaches and to create a world-leading coaching development system in Academies and at first-team level across the English professional game.

In turn, the ECP supports the Elite Player Performance Plan, which was launched by the Premier League in 2012 with the aim of producing more and better home-grown players.

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