Man United legend Phelan coaches kids
BSA kids given experience
Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan was praised after taking 80 county kids through a football masterclass.
Phelan (55), who was a long-term assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, travelled up to Blantyre Soccer Academy, where he took the girls, seven-a-side, and then 11-a-side teams through their paces, before delivering a Q and A session for coaches.
Mike played for Man United and got involved on the coaching side in 1999, and was assistant from 200813, followed by spells at Norwich City and Hull City.
BSA chairman Jimmy Whelan was very impressed with the ex-hull City manager’s approach and dedication on the day.
Jimmy said: “It was huge to have somebody of Mike’s profile and calibre up to coach the kids and it was great to get him up here, rather than us travelling down to see him.
“The whole thing happened because one of the girls was at a dinner in England and was seated next to Mike, and he said he would come up.
“He didn’t do it for free, obviously, but there were 80 kids, so it evened itself out for us.
“It was a great experience for the kids and I think the pop-up coaching thing is a great idea of Mike’s – it’s working really well for him.
“Mike’s experience in the game is phenomenal, and he was great with the kids, he was a natural with them.”
While Jimmy says the club will probably now look at different avenues, he would commend Mike’s coaching sessions to others.
He said: “I would definitely recommend Mike to other clubs. I would strongly recommend him.
“It makes a massive difference for him to come to you, because otherwise that would have been just one of our teams going down to England, and he spent the whole day with us.”