Ajose back at Exeter as coach
EXETER City manager Matt Taylor has confirmed that former striker Nicky Ajose is back with the club as he takes the first steps on his coaching career.
Still only 29, Ajose should be in the prime of his life, but his playing career has not gone the way it should have done, leading to his departure from St James Park in the summer.
Having started out with Manchester United, Ajose had a loan spell with Bury before joining Peterborough United. Loan spells followed with Scunthorpe, Chesterfield, Crawley and Bury before a successful stint with Swindon, who he then went on to join permanently after a brief spell at Leeds and Crewe Alexandra.
At the County Ground, Ajose enjoyed the best season of his career, scoring 24 goals in 38 games, which earnt him a move to Charlton Athletic.
Again, Ajose failed to settle playing 58 games in three years, whilst also spending time on loan at Swindon, Bury and Mansfield.
After his release from the Valley in 2019, he joined City, but the move was something of a disaster as he managed only 25 appearances in two years with seven of those in the EFL Trophy. In total, he scored just six goals.
Now though, Ajose is forming part of the coaching set-up at City’s famed Academy.
“As far as I am aware, it is a pathway that Nicky is exploring and gaining valuable experience in,” Taylor said. “When you are part of the Academy, you are not expected to, but you often come and watch the first team games as well because that is what they are preparing these young players for.
“Someone who has had such a strong and stellar career should be able to adapt their knowledge – hopefully – to a younger generation, so whilst that’s going on, we are more than happy to work with Nicky.
“I haven’t worked with him directly, but as far as I’m aware, he has been a really good addition to the Academy coaching group and we need more players that have played at a certain level and have a certain amount of experience because they are the ones that have the experience, know the ins and outs and the way a game feels at times, so we are pleased to have Nicky in that role and hope he maintains it.”
Hopes were high when Ajose signed for Exeter that he could be the man that would plunder the goals and take them into League One but, no sooner had he signed than he picked up a knee injury, which meant he was often unable to train when the Grecians trained on their 4G astroturf.
It was no surprise when he left in the summer, but the news he is part of the Academy set up will surprise many, although Taylor says Ajose’s studious nature makes him an ideal coach.
“I presume there is still a chance that he will play for other clubs, whether that is part-time or fulltime, I am sure he is assessing his options.”
“He works with the Under 16s on some evenings, but a lot of our coaches have to jump between age groups, so I know he has done some sessions with Dan Green and the Under 16s, but I’d imagine he is working with different age groups, just to get more experience.
“We would have expected him to sign for another league club, or nonleague club, but I am sure he will have enough options in relation to that and all players have to look at their futures at different times and in different ways.
“Nicky is doing that in relation to coaching at the moment and I am sure he will have a fantastic career in terms of coaching because he’s a thinker of the game, a studier of the game, and I can’t praise him enough in relation to that.”