Lead Professional Development Coach excited by new challenge
Huddersfield Town’s newly appointed Lead Professional Development Coach Tony Carss is looking forward to the challenge of taking full control of the Club’s flourishing Under-18 squad.
The former midfielder has filled the position vacated by Frankie Bunn, who is now in charge of the Club’s Development Squad (click HERE).
Carss ended his playing career with the Terriers in 2006 because a knee injury and after speaking with Peter Jackson and Gerry Murphy, he volunteered to coach the Club’s Under-13s and 14s.
He returned for the following season in charge of the Under-13s, which included a youngster by the name of Duane Holmes: “I have watched Duane progress through the Academy and it was excellent to work with him,” said Tony. “He was exceptional in the Under-18s and is now doing well in the First Team. That is where the buzz comes from as coach; seeing players develop and improve is so important.”
Tony is now Head of the Professional Development Phase, covering the Club’s 16-18 year-olds, as they look to build on last year’s success at Under-18 level: “I am really happy to have made the step up; it is a progression in my career. I have been coaching in the Academy for the last seven years and if you take my playing career, I have been with the Club for the last 12 years.
“I am ambitious and I have put in a lot of hard work to get where I am,” he continued. “I have learned a lot over the last two years working with Frankie (Bunn) and the Under-18s and it was a natural progression to take control of the team. I have experience of controlling teams from my early years in the Academy, albeit younger age groups, which I have missed a little over the last two years.
“I am always learning, but I bring my own ideas and philosophies to the table. However, if you want to learn and be the best you can be, like I do as a coach, then you have got to listen and learn from people around you. It is important that you always seek to improve; you should never feel like you have cracked something.
“I am looking forward to the variety of challenges that I will face; I have enjoyed pre-season so far and I’m looking forward to the season starting.”
Tony’s job now is to prepare his young guns for the challenges of the First Team football: “Any of our players that step-up into the Under-21s or the First Team have to know what is expected of them. It is my job to teach them what to expect; Mark Robins doesn’t want to be starting from scratch when and if they move up.
“If they appreciate and understand the philosophies of the Club – the ‘Town Way’ of playing football - it gives them a better chance of getting noticed,” he added. “If the Manager sees players doing well in the U18s and U21s and in the way that he wants for the First Team, then they have a better chance of getting picked.
“Being in the Championship, we have to produce players of a top quality. They have to be intelligent, able to adapt quickly to changing scenarios, problem solve and - the big thing in my opinion - is that they have to be able to play under pressure. They have to be able to play in front of big crowds and it is something that we do a lot of work on.”
