STOKE CITY V PRESTON NORTH END
what’s in front of you. As a coach that’s a big tick in the box.”
And there are plenty of youngsters at Stoke at the moment for Holden to get to work with.
Harry Souttar, Tyrese Campbell and Nathan Collins have become key first team players over the last few months and there are more bubbling through underneath, hoping to be next in line.
It will be a boon for Stoke if they can, particularly when a Financial Fair Play tightrope has such constraints in the transfer market.
“The young players always excite you because they come in with no fear,” said Holden. “You watch them in training going up against the senior players and get to know their characteristics.
“I’m fascinated by the psychology side of football, I always have been. You judge them from outside when you’re at another football club, you watch them and you do research, but to work with them and see them in their own environment is interesting.
“That’s exciting. Michael touched on recently that the youngsters have had a lot of minutes this season and that sets the club up well. Fans can relate to that and it’s aided by some good solid senior players as well.
“We’ll assess the squad as we go through and try to add some quality where it’s needed. It’s been a transitional season and hopefully we can push on.”
He added: “It’s quite a buzz word to talk about joining a project but we all want success as quickly as we can. There’s a process. The club has obviously come down from the Premier League and spent a lot of money to try to get back there but unfortunately it hasn’t worked.
“Now it’s about maybe trying to do it in a slightly different way, developing the youngsters. You’ve always got to be guided by the seniors as well.
“The thing that excites me the most is the ambition of the club, the ambition of the manager to really push this club on. That motivates you every day because you can’t stand still, you have to keep improving.”
The Holden career project might have had a different path entirely. He is a qualified referee, even if he is glad he doesn’t have to use that qualification.
“I got to probably 32 or 33 and I’d started my coaching badges when I was 29, 30,” he said.
“Through my broken legs in my career, I was never the star of the show, nothing was ever handed to me on a plate but I was at the point when I thought, if I don’t get the opportunity to go into coaching what am I going to do? It’s all I know. Apart from my family it’s all I care about.
“So I went and did this course.
I was a linesman for six months doing under-18s girls matches in Manchester. That was an experience.
“I enjoyed it because it gives you a different side. Don’t get me wrong we can all get frustrated by decisions but, like having walked in the shoes of a manager, you have a better understanding of how they see the game.
“It allows you to take some of the anger and frustration out of it because it’s a difficult job, it’s not one I’d want to do if I’m being honest, particularly with VAR around.
“Luckily Dean Smith gave me an opportunity to start my coaching career at Walsall and it developed pretty quickly. I never thought I’d enjoy something more than playing football but coaching has really grabbed me. I really look forward every day to coming in every day and trying to improve myself and the guys around me. Hopefully that’ll be a good starting point for success at the club.”
Does that mean that he has more sympathy for referees or that he is more demanding?
“You get lost in the moment,” he said. “If I see myself back on some video footage but I’ve never really questioned a referee too much. Of course you get frustrated and you want them to improve and be as good as they can be but it’s a tough ask, it really is… so probably a bit of both.”