Be Patient And You Will Succeed, Says Oman Football Coach

GERALD LAMI

has been on both sides of the pitch – on it, as a player, and off it, as a coach.

Currently one of the senior coaches at the Juventus Academy in Oman, Lami’s inimitable experiences have moulded him into a much wiser football man than he would’ve been, had he stayed just one side of the game.

“I think at a young age, football is more about playing time and building match fitness and first-team experience than about the money aspect of the game,” explained Lami.

“Itishard,becausethereareteams out there that are paying massive amountsofmoneyforayoungplayer, and when that opportunity presents itself, you have to think about it twice, but if you think about the long-term, it’s all about gaining experience, and eventually, you will get that opportunity, and the chance for you to get the money will come as well.

“Sometimes, taking a step down isn’t bad as well, because if you look at someone like Harry Kane, who is now one of the best strikers in England and is being looked at by many of the big clubs, he took a step down to go play at Millwall, and look at him today,” he added.

Lami also stressed that clubs should do more to protect their young players.

“I am for the loan system, but am against it as well, because if you look at teams like Chelsea, they’ve got a massive loan list, so when they go out on loan and when they come back, what happens to them then?,” he asked. “For the lower teams, if you bring in three players from another team on loan, is it fair for the other teams?”

Having coached in the UK, Bahrain, Italy, and now Oman, Lami is hoping to get into football management at some time in the future.

“At the moment, I just want to get as much qualifications as I can and one day eventually get into the management side of the game,” he revealed. “I don’t want to put a cap on what I can achieve, but I want to get to the highest level, and I am patient about this. That is one of the things I have learned over the years.”