King’s taking first steps on path to being a manager
EX-CITY PLAYER GIVEN COACHING ROLE AT ROBINS
LEICESTER City icon Andy King has been backed by Nigel Pearson to strike up a managerial career after the midfielder took his first step into coaching, writes Jordan Blackwell.
King has signed a one-year contract extension at Bristol City, where Pearson, right, is in charge, but his role is not just as a player, but as a coach too.
The Wales international will split his duties on the pitch by working with the Robins’ young professionals to help develop their game.
While at City, Pearson allowed Chris Powell to double up on playing and coaching duties, and he has gone on to have a solid managerial career, with the former left-back now a coach in Gareth Southgate’s England set-up.
Pearson sees King following a similar path.
“It’s important that when we have talented football people in the building, we invest time in young players that we can see a future in, and it’s also important that we invest time in talented football people towards the end of their career,” Pearson said.
“So what do I mean by that? I think he’s got a future in the game as a coach and probably a manager.
“He’s here, he’s very keen to stay and, you never know, he might manage the club one day. Why not invest time in him? And he’s still got a lot to offer as a player as well. He’s bright enough, he’s got the game understanding, he’s still ambitious – I think he’ll make a good manager.
“He’s remaining very much a player. He’s not getting changed into black kit.
“He wants to still play and that’s very important, and I still want him to play.
“I’ve done it before at other clubs. Chris Powell at Leicester, we made him a player-coach and Chris has had a really good career so far.
“I see it as being an opportunity to at least let talented players who we think can be talented coaches and managers explore the possibilities, without the real pressure of it being their first job.
“It’s just a sensible move for us as a club and for Kingy’s development I think it will be really, really good.”
King, 33, is insistent that he has plenty to offer on the pitch, and is particularly keen to enjoy a better season this coming campaign after hamstring injuries restricted him to just 10 starts last term in his first year with the club he supported as a boy.
But he also feels he has plenty of wisdom to offer too.
He told Robins TV: “This is a slightly different role but playing a part on the pitch is something I still very firmly believe I can do and is what I’ve been working so hard towards this pre-season with the lads.
“The opportunity to help in a coaching capacity is also great and I’m keen to learn as it’s certainly something I see myself doing in the future.
“I hope that what I’ve learned so far, and from my experiences as a player, will be really useful to help the good young players we have.
“It’s something I’m really pleased the club have allowed me to do.
“I’ve started doing my badges with a FAW (Football Association of Wales) a year or so ago so when I decide to stop playing and it’s certainly an avenue I can see myself going down.
“For my own development, the coaches here give me that chance to maybe come in on their meetings if I need to or come in on some of their sessions to see how they do things.
“If I can help some of the younger boys in their development, whether that be with the Under23s or some of the boys coming into the firstteam, it’s something I would have liked to do anyway but now I’ve got that title it’s something I can take a little bit more seriously and they can take it a little bit seriously from me.” King left City in 2020 after 14 years as a firstteam player at the club. He made 379 appearances and scored 62 goals, winning the League One, Championship, and Premier League titles with the club.