Practice and more practice gave Craig Short a top career
NEVER be afraid to go out and practice your skills – and then practice them some more, Neil Warnock told Burton Albion’s junior players.
The wily former Brewers manager cited the example of Craig Short, who began his career under Warnock at Scarborough and went on to play for Derby County, Everton and Blackburn Rovers among others.
“Craig was a bank clerk who used to play part-time,” said Warnock.
“The nice old coach at Scarborough said to me ‘he’s got some energy, gaffer, I think he’s a winger.’
“We played him on the wing. Not in a million years. We moved him into midfield. Not in a million years.
“We tried him up front. Same again, so we were coming to the end of the road with him.
“He had the attitude, he was big and strong but he couldn’t play those positions.
“Then, one day, we played at Birmingham City and they had Peter Withe at centre-forward – a big lad with a beard, England international, he looked like a Viking.
“I said to Craig, right, you’re going to play centre-half today, just mark him. Nothing else. Wherever he goes, just mark him.
“Within 20 minutes, Peter Withe came over to the bench and said ‘can you get this flaming rash off me! I’ve had enough of this, it’s only a reserve match!’
“Well, we laughed our heads off and that’s it, that’s how Craig Short became a centre-half. Nobody could get past him.”
But, said Warnock, Short’s ability with the ball at his feet needed some work and, along with his brother Christian, who was also at the club, work at it was what he did.
“He could not pass a ball 10 yards at Scarborough,” said Warnock.
“But he and his brother, every afternoon, they’d take 30 balls up on to the park and they’d knock balls to each other. Right foot, left foot.
“They were all over the shop to start with but they would go every day, under their own steam, away from the lads, because they knew, if they were going to get anywhere, they had to improve.
“I took him to Notts County with me and he went on and on, to Derby and to Everton.
“I saw him on TV for Everton, taking free kicks, and they won a game from one of his free kicks.
“I texted him and said ‘who would have thought, at Scarborough, you’d be taking free kicks that led to a winning goal?’
“And he texted me back before he even got in the bath: ‘It was the park, gaffer. Nobody saw us practice.’
“So, never be ashamed to go and practice. If you’re good with your right foot, use your left. I always said to young players, if you want to come back in the afternoons, I will find you a coach to help out.
“Don’t do it for brownie points, do it because you want to improve. Any little thing that you’re not good at, you can always improve.”