Three lions rampant! Meet the Scots hunk aiming for World Cup glory... with England
WE may not be competing in the planet’s biggest football tournament in Russia, but one Scot still has a chance to win the World Cup.
Allan Russell has gone from journeyman player to male model to striking coach – and is a close confidante of England manager Gareth Southgate.
The self-styled ‘world’s No1 striker coach’ is a key part of England’s 58-strong World Cup delegation who helps hone the talents of star forward Harry Kane.
Glaswegian Russell, 37, appeared for St Mirren and Partick Thistle before ending his playing days in the US, with Carolina RailHawks and Orange County Blues.
He also worked as a model, and appeared topless to carry Christina Aguilera onto the stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Edinburgh in 2003.
But he returned to training, with Hamilton Academical, and scored 15 goals in 76 games. Russell’s time in the US then inspired him to become a specialist coach. He said: ‘In my career I felt there was never enough detail on how strikers
‘Confident and bolshie’
should be trained and coached. When I was in America I looked at the NFL – the detail that goes into getting an extra 1 per cent out of these guys is incredible.’
Russell was in the England team photo and is part of Southgate’s inner sanctum – alongside coach Steve Holland – that decides tactics and team selection.
His company, Superior Striker, offers coaching sessions which can cost up to £1,000 a time. Premier League players such as Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend have requested his help.
Russell said: ‘I tailor the coaching to match the positions my clients play in.
‘We work on drills inside the box, on reaction, touch and movement to get into the box at the right times.’
Described as ‘confident and bolshie’ by England camp insiders, he has been a big hit with players even though he scored only nine goals in English football throughout his career.