Lafferty enjoying his coaching role as he eyes a playing return
NORTHERN Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty is coaching at Scottish amateur side East Kilbride YM and is loving every second of it.
The 31-year-old is determined to continue playing, and is on the look out for a new club after being released by Rangers last month, but his move into coaching is a sign of things to come when he does hang up the boots.
Lafferty, who is in the middle of earning his coaching badges with the Irish FA, has been working with South Lanarkshire outfit East Kilbride YM since the start of the year.
Recently he has been coaching the club’s Caledonian League side and guided them to an impressive 6-3 win against Milngavie Wanderers at the weekend.
“Whatever I do, I want to continue to be in the football world, but I’m still a player at the moment,” explained Lafferty.
“I’m helping out a bit more than normal until I find a new club, so I’m ablee to help the boys during gammes.
“I’m really enjoy-njoying it and it’s thehe path I want to goo down in the fu-ture. It’s a good learning curve for me.
“I’m not too sure about be-i ng a manager.er. Maybe an assistantant or a coach, butt who knows because thingshings can change in football.
“A few years down the line I might have adapted to the coaching side of things and would like to be a manager.”
Revealing how he ended up coaching East Kilbride YM, Lafferty said: “The YM manager asked me to come along to look over their games. I took a few training sessions and got more and more into it.
“I’ ll do ball work and look at tactics. I’m trying to get into their heads what positions they should be in and stuff like that. They are a great group of lads.
“I’ve been a professional footballer for long enough, so it’s good to put things out there and let other lads learn from it.
“Some of the stuff I’m teaching them I’ve picked up as a player with the managers I’ve played under.”
One of those managers was Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool legend trying to take Rangers back to the top of Scottish football.
Gerrard (below) made the call in the summer to release Lafferty. The Northern Ireland hero would love to be still be at Ibrox but holds no grudges with the Gers boss, pointing out that he learnt lessons from the ex-England skipper and his coaching staff, including Michael Beale who completed his Pro Licence with the IFA.
“I’ ve picked up one or two things from Steven Gerrard in the time I worked with him, but itit ’ss mostly MMichael Beale who has been dealing more with the coachinging side of things,” sasays Lafferty
“I ’ ve pi c ked up things from all the managers I’ve worked with and it’s all p positive.” I n t e r ms o f whawhat’s next on the playinplaying f ront, f ree agent LafLafferty has been courted by foreign clubs and some closer to home.
Kilmarnock were keen and held talks with Lafferty but nothing was agreed, meaning he is still searching for a new place to play.
The ex-Hearts striker, who has scored 20 goals at international level, would ideally prefer to stay in Scotland but has not ruled out a move abroad.
THE good times just keep coming for Linf ield defender Mark Stafford. Blues players are struggling to keep a lid on their excitement as they prepare to take a shot at the group stages of the Europa League but, amid that sense of anticipation, the big man has just celebrated becoming a father again as well as his bir thday.
The former Ballinamallard United ace turned 32 yesterday and he was given a special early bir thday gif t when his wife Kylie gave bir th to Lyla on Saturday.
Lyla was born at The South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, delighting the couple and their eldest daughter Ellie (3)
Weighing 9lbs 9oz, the new arrival is making sure Mark has his hands f ull before he gets to grips with Qarabag in the Europa League play- offs.
It’s an exciting time in the Stafford household and now the man who has made 122 appearances for the Blues is ready to have a rattle at making the group stages.
With the f irst leg of the play- off against the Azerbaijani champions at Windsor Park tomorrow night, Linfield and their fans are daring to dream of group stage action against premier European opponents, netting the club around £ 4m.
David Healy’s side have already earned just under £1.3m from their continental exploits so far but an historic victor y in this tie will hand the club an embarrassment of riches.
And it shouldn’t be forgotten that Linfield are f ly ing the Irish League f lag with pride, and their performances will help bolster our nation’s Uefa co- ef f icient at a time when we have temporarily said goodbye to one European slot.
Victories over HB Torshavn and Montenegrin champions Sutjeska saw the Windsor Park men celebrate back to back European victories for the f irst time since Aris (Luxembourg) and Valerenga ( Norway) were swept aside in the old European Cup in 1966.
An Irish League club has never progressed to the Europa League group stages before