Duo will develop players

NORTH Queensland Football has appointed Benjamin Gough as the zone’s technical development manager, and Townsville local Gareth Edds as head of their Football Queensland Skills Acquisition Phase program.

Gough will be responsible for leading coach education, player and game development to grow the technical level of football participants in North Queensland, and will play a key role in managing the technical framework of the Talent Support Programs (TSP).

An FFA B-licence coach, Gough is currently completing his A-licence and said he was looking forward to sharing his knowledge and continuing to learn in North Queensland.

“Building a network of likeminded passionate football people will be the key to success, we all need to work together,” he said. Gough has been the technical director of the Skills Acquisition Phase (SAP) program at Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC since 2014 and has over 17 years of experience as a player and educator.

“Football Queensland investing in regional youth development will help rebuild the foundation of our game in Townsville and its regions,” Gough said.

Edds played professionally in the UK from 1997 and returned to Australia in 2010 to finish his career locally with now defunct A-league side North Queensland Fury.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Football Queensland team and being able to contribute to one of the most important parts of player development, the skill acquisition phase,” he said.

Trial dates for the Football Queensland TSP and SAP will be announced in coming days.