England Coaching Placements

Wider off-pitch representation will always be a key objective of the PFA. In 2018, we launched the BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) Coaching Placement Programme, alongside The FA. The three-year project was part of our commitment to improve diversity within football in coaching, management, health, education, administration and at board level.

The programme aimed to increase the visibility of male and female BAME coaches at the highest level, redress the lack of diversity in roles that surround elite players and aid the progression of BAME coaches at all levels.

Over the three years of the project, participants worked with England teams across all age groups. They designed sessions, coached international players, observed coaches at the top level and widened their professional networks.

Participants on the programme included:

• Chris Powell, who joined the senior men's coaching staff in September 2019 and is now the Head of Coaching at Tottenham Hotspur Academy.
• Sol Campbell, who assisted with the men's under-21s team and went on to manage Macclesfield Town and Southend United.
• Paul Nevin, who joined the senior men's coaching staff for matches against USA and Croatia, and is now West Ham United's first-team coach.
• Terry Connor, who joined the men's under-21s setup for the Euro 2020 qualifiers and is now Assistant Manager at Cardiff City.
• Alena Moulton, who is now Stoke City Women's Head Coach.
• Kieron Dyer, who is now under-23s Manager at Ipswich Town.

In 2020, we launched the Professional Player to Coach Scheme alongside the Premier League and EFL, offering six aspiring BAME coaches per season a 23-month intensive work placement within an EFL club.