Gary Monk has been giving coaching advice to a host of Championship players while in lockdown, as reported by StokeOnTrentLive.
The course was organised via the Welsh FA for candidates studying for their UEFA A and B licenses, and Monk was on hand to give the hopefuls a virtual presentation.
Stoke City trio Joe Allen, James Chester and Sam Vokes featured on the call, as well as Wales Captain Ashley Williams, Andy King, and Chris Gunter.
Monk also earned his coaching badges during his playing career, and famously was appointed the interim player/manager at Swansea in 2014 before getting the job permanently.
The players seemingly benefited from the session, with Chester explaining in his weekly column for The Athletic: “Garry did his coaching badges through the Welsh FA, so he was giving something back. He talked us through what happened to him. He went from being a player to becoming manager at Swansea in a day, and he was telling us to get as organised as possible in case the day ever comes. It was thrust upon him and he said he wasn’t as prepared as he’d have liked to have been. Since then, he’s kicked on, of course.
“His presentation was about the pathway he wants to follow and how he wants to manage. It was interesting.”
The decision for what comes after their playing career is a problem many footballers are faced with and Chester is no different. “If I’m being totally honest, I’m still not sure management appeals to me,” he said.
“I’ve also questioned whether coaching is, but I felt like this was a good opportunity to get my A and B licences and, given the lads are all doing it, it has been an enjoyable process. So you never know — it would be quite nice to have more strings to my bow.”
