Late, great Eric would still be big influence

AMID the sadness of Eric Harrison’s funeral next week, it will also be a celebration of his life.

As I said in last week’s column, the number of people at Manchester United who have reason to thank Eric as a special coach, and a major influence on their careers, goes way beyond the Class of 92.

In the days since Eric (above) passed away, I have found myself wondering if his methods would have been as effective in the modern game.

After all, this is a man who oversaw the rise of a global superstar in David Beckham, the most decorated player in Premier League history (Ryan

Giggs), one of United’s all-time greatest footballers (Paul Scholes), the incredible Neville brothers... and me!

Would Eric have been as influential in the lives of 21st century youngsters, who are more preoccupied with materialistic things, like the latest Range Rover, Rolex watches or being seen in the roped-off areas of trendy nightclubs?

Yes, I like to think he would have been just as influential on the game today – because his values were all rooted in being humble and working hard.

I don’t think he would have been impressed with teenagers, on £30,000 a week, flaunting their wealth before they had even kicked a ball for the first team.

Don’t get me wrong – academies still produce exciting talent, and England manager Gareth Southgate has enjoyed some fine results tapping into the supply line. But I watch age-level games now where some coaches tell their players when to stand, when to run, when to move at set-pieces – every detail of the game is programmed into youngsters like robots. Eric’s methods went beyond coaching on a technical level. He taught us life skills and the value of teamwork. But within the framework of formations and tactics, he wanted players to express themselves, to show what they could do off the cuff. That’s how talents like Beckham and Giggs were able to flourish from an early age. And we learned as much from him about discipline off the field. You could never be late for training. And if someone didn’t do their job properly, like sweeping out the changing rooms or cleaning the showers, the whole squad had to stay behind at the end of the day, until everything was done to his satisfaction. If you worked hard, if you were prepared to learn, and if you looked out for your team-mates beyond the football itself, Eric was a fantastic mentor and role model. He would not have been impressed by the strut of millionaire kids who have achieved absolutely nothing in the game these days. To get into an academy is a great achievement because it means you’ve been picked up by scouts – and that’s where the hard work starts. But there are so many of us who went through Eric’s academy at Manchester United, who will never forget his work.