DOWNES READY FOR NEW ROLE AT ROBINS
CLUB captain Aaron Downes has taken a step towards a career in coaching with his current club Cheltenham, but he will still be available for the first team squad.
Defender Downes was named as head of academy coaching at the Robins this week and will work alongside academy manager Antoine Thompson.
For Downes, it is the beginning of the transition into a new career as his playing time begins to reduce at Whaddon Road.
“The manager (Gary Johnson) and academy manager, Antoine Thompson, offered me the role of liaising with the first team and I accepted it straight away,” he said.
“I’m just starting out in my coaching career, so I’m very honoured and thankful for the position.
“It’s a privilege to be trusted with the responsibility of the role.
“I feel it is a good fit and I know the manager’s expectations and philosophy. It doesn’t mean I’m fully (there) yet and I’m still training every day.
“But the manager and I both know my playing time is going to be limited this season and the intention is to make a transition to coaching.”
Downes already has a UEFA B licence and is halfway through his A licence, which he expects to complete in the next six months.
The 32-year-old won’t be getting too hands-on with the day-to-day coaching just yet as he begins in a more over-arching role.
“My role is not so much coaching the children as relaying the information from the manager to every coach throughout the academy,” he explained.
“It’s important to have every coach on the same wavelength so, as the children progress, it’s a smooth transition.
“I’m not here to tell the coaches how to coach. They’re all individual and will have their own ways, and I respect that.”