Football ‘geek’ in search of knowledge
FoR many a professional in a bygone age, the daily grind of training was seen as l i ttle more than a rude interruption to their lifelong relationship with a local turf accountant.
You cannot help but wonder what they would have made of Lee Wallace back in the 1970s. For the self-confessed anorak of the game, there simply are not enough hours in the week for the Rangers and scotland man to quench his thirst for knowledge.
Not content with taking the final steps in his B Licence at the ripe old age of 26, the defender has managed his own amateur team in Edinburgh for the past three years as a means of learning on the job.
‘I’m actually quite a geek when it comes to this,’ he smiled. ‘ I’m relentless — borderline insane when it comes to studying and research. hopefully, that will pay off in 20 or 30 years’ time.’
While the extra hours being put in voluntarily are primarily an investment in his future, there are significant short-term benefits to be realised while he’s still kicking a ball.
‘It’s great coming away here and seeing the manager prepare at international level to face top-class players,’ Wallace added.
‘ Plus, I do t he amateurs just now. I have t aken a team for the last three years ( heriot Vale) and even that has had a huge benefit for me. You benefi t as a player. Absolutely, 100 per cent.
‘It has given me a great platform and a great way to look at what works and what doesn’t, and what they enjoy. It makes it easier that half the team is made up of my pals.
‘ I was 2 3 when I started it and, obviously, it’s a long way away until I want to get involved in that side of things, but it has given me a great start.
‘ If I do go into management, these badges — and just listening to other players r el aying i deas f rom their club managers — is great. I’m just really hungry to l earn. My t e am are sitting top of the league just now — we got promoted two years ago and f i nished s econd last year — and this is as high as you can go in t hi s particular league.
‘ We are playing 4-1-3-2 at the minute, and I love it. It is difficult f or my friends sometimes sitting in a dressing room listening to me, but they have got a bit of respect and t hey have been tremendous. It has been really enjoyable.’
It says everything about Wallace’s desire to one day cut it in management that he views standing at the side of muddy parks throughout Edinburgh as just another lesson potentially learned.
More formally, the demands of the B Licence required the detailed study of a club further up the food chain and, as luck would have it, his case study are due in town in little over a week.
‘I did it on Ajax,’ he revealed. ‘I was keen on Frank de Boer (the Ajax manager) at that time. I had read Pep Guardiola’s book in the summer, so I was close to doing it on Barcelona, but a friend who was on the course with me did Barcelona, so I went down the Ajax route.
‘ Everyone knows t hey are renowned for that philosophy and that way of playing, so I thought it would be good to touch upon them. hopefully, Parky (Donald Park, the course assessor) will be happy with it.
‘I put together their strengths and weaknesses this season. obviously, it has been hard to find weaknesses with Ajax.’
The obvious tongue-in- cheek question, then, is whether the Rangers man would lend his dossier to Neil Lennon as the Celtic manager plots the downfall of the Dutch side in the Champions League.
‘ Maybe,’ Wallace answered diplomatically. ‘ I will give Neil Lennon a bell if he wants. If he gives me his email I can send it over.
‘It was an enjoyable task. Whereas some people might not enjoy the written work, I am quite a geek on that front, I enjoyed it.’
In the colours of his country too, Wallace’s diligence is bearing fruit. Temporarily discarded by Craig Levein due to Rangers’ exile to the bottom tier of scottish football, the defender has been involved with three of Gordon strachan’s squads this year.
he finished the game in Macedonia last time out but, with steven Whittaker injured for the Croatia clash on Tuesday, Wallace looks assured of a starting berth.
‘There was never a discussion between Craig and myself,’ he reflected. ‘I just went by what was
“I studied Ajax as part of my B Licence. If Neil Lennon gives me his email I can send it over”
said in the media at that point, in that it would be hard for him as a manager to pick someone who was playing in the bottom tier of scottish football at that time.
‘I totally respected him for that as I respected him as a manager. I put my sole focus into Rangers and worked hard, hoping that would pay off further down the line.
‘It’s been good to be called back into the national squad. I was happy to be called in as back-up the last time and thrilled at the fact I got a wee bit of game time. I should have scored in that match, too.’
For all Wallace does not castigate Levein for that decision, there is a delicious irony in him now being part of the scotland set-up. While a hearts player in the sPL, he had reservations about being called up by his country. Now, for a variety of reasons, as a Rangers player in the third tier of the game, it feels entirely right.
‘I feel more confident in myself,’ he declared. ‘When I used to come to scotland squads when I was at hearts, there was always that wee feeling of: “Was I quite right to be involved at this level of football?”, even though I was doing well where I was in the sPL.
‘I feel I’ve matured and I can come into international football knowing if I give it my best I’ll be happy.’