GREENING: I’D LOVE TO BOSS YORK
Former ace’s vow to boyhood club
FORMER Premier League star Jonathan Greening says he’d love to manage boyhood club York City one day – but admits old mate Steve Watson will be a difficult man to replace.
A product of the Minstermen academy, Greening went onto enjoy a glittering career at the top flight with Manchester United and West Brom before ending his career back in NonLeague, with Tadcaster Albion, in 2017.
In between, the 41-yearold has completed his UEFA coaching badges and is keen to make a return to the professional game, particularly at the club where it all started.
Greening knows, however, that he may have to wait his turn in order to fulfil his dream. Former West Brom team-mate Watson is currently occupying the hotseat and enjoying plenty of success having guided York to the top of National League North before the enforced break.
Speaking to 888.com, Greening said: “I would love to manage York one day, 100 per cent. When I went there as York City’s Under 18s coach that was the plan. To do two years while doing my pro license and learn bits and bobs after doing a year at Nottingham Forest. I wanted to progress and get a chance maybe as the first team coach before getting the manager’s job.
“That’s a massive aim of mine to get back into professional football as a manager and I’d love to manage one of my old teams, whether it’s York City, West Brom, whoever.
“It’s like starting your career all over again and you start at the very bottom and work your way up and be the best you can be. So yeah, if it came up I’d love to have a crack at it.”
Joining York at the age of 15, Greening spent two years as a YTS trainee before signing his first professional deal in 1996, making his debut at AFC Bournemouth later that season.
Two more years and 25 appearances later, the young midfield ace was thrust into the spotlight with a dream move to Manchester United, following a four-day trial, in a deal worth an initial £500,000 and rising to £2 million with appearances and international recognition.
Although he was an unused sub in the 1999 Champions League Final, Greening found first-team opportunities limited at Old Trafford and was soon on the move again to Middlesbrough, for a combined fee of £3 million.
Spells at West Brom, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Barnsley, on loan, followed before Greening stepped back into NonLeague with the first of two spells at Tadcaster, split by a short period at York where he was given his first real taste of coaching.
He reflects: “I started off at York as a YTS so the happiest time was when the manager at the time “Alan Little got me in to sign a professional contract. As a YTS lad your main aim is to make it as a first year pro so when I was offered that I was absolutely buzzing.
“I think it was only about £90-a-week but to get that was brilliant and then to play in the first team was everything I’d always wanted. From there I got the dream move to Manchester United.
“The saddest part was when I went back to York to help with the under 18s when I was retired. About ten months in to doing that I was asked to come out of retirement because of injuries. I hadn’t played for about a year and came off the bench a couple of times and really started to enjoy playing again.
History
“I got sent off at Portsmouth away for supposedly throwing an elbow at one of their players and even today when I watch it back it wasn’t an elbow. So I didn’t play any more after that but if that didn’t happen I reckon I would have carried on for the rest of the season.
“That was a real downer because I still felt fit but after the three-match ban a few injuries came back. That was disappointing because I could have carried on for another six months.”
After two seasons in Non-League’s second tier, the Minstermen are poised for a return to the top-flight and Greening is praying his former club return to where they belong
“I really hope they go up,” he added. “Obviously I’m not involved anymore but I know Steve Watson, the manager from playing with him at West Brom and I actually saw Watto the other day. He was confident they could get promoted and I think they need to because they’re moving into their new stadium soon.
“They need to start moving up through the tiers again because they’re a big club in a lovely city and they have a rich history of being in the Football League. I’m really praying they can stay at the top and get that title.”