Wanderers beware, Foxe has crazy work ethic
TOM SMITHIES EVEN now, 22 years later, Hayden Foxe can feel the influence of the first senior coaches he worked under every day, even before he gets to work.
From the authoritarianism of Dutch coaches Louis van Gaal and Co Adriaanse – the latter nicknamed “Psycho” – to the “free spirit” that was Harry Redknapp, the man installed as the Wanderers’ interim coach has absorbed lessons from them all.
But the discipline demanded of youth players in Ajax’s academy when he was just 18 still informs the way he approaches life.
“To be successful you have to tick every box, cover every detail,” he said.
“Even now I wake up, I make my bed, that’s the first task of the day completed.”
If Western Sydney’s players anticipated a slacking off of intensity and the standards demanded by Tony Popovic in the wake of his departure, they will surely be disappointed.
“I love that, it’s a big part of my training regime,” Foxe said.
“Van Gaal was the head coach at Ajax when I was there but Adriaanse was the academy director and wow ... was he tough. So strong on discipline, really tough.
“It was a strict, strict regime, how you dressed, the way you conducted yourself. It was a steep learning curve in how to be a professional.”
It’s safe to assume Foxe won’t go as far as Adriaanse, a man known to make the Ajax players literally walk over each other to build resilience.
But it’s clear he has been watching and appraising the coaching he received throughout his playing career in Europe and Japan.
Redknapp signed him twice, at West Ham and Portsmouth.
“Harry was like a free spirit, but he was very good with people,” Foxe said.
“You’ve got to be able to manage different personalities, the players and staff.
“It’s fascinating to see how different coaches work.
“I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that you have to be true to your beliefs.”
Foxe has made clear he would love the job permanently, having served an apprenticeship under John van ’t Schip, John Aloisi and Popovic, and the seriousness with which he takes his coaching progression is obvious.
If Western Sydney play against the Mariners with the same brio as they did in defeating Perth last week, his claims will get even stronger.
Whatever happens, nothing will stop him detailing drills and guiding players on the training ground.
“I love coaching, I love being out on the field, putting over a point of view and a playing style,” Foxe said.
“Seeing people take that on board, that makes me fulfilled. There’s always a learning process along the way; you study different leagues, different coaches and try to mix it all in.”