Lisburn Youth coach takes part in UEFA course

Lisburn Youth’s Nicky Maye recently took part in a UEFA B Part 2 coaching course.
Northern Ireland legend David Healy, a former Lisburn Youth player recently took part in a course to take his coaching badges, alongside Lisburn Youth's Nicky Maye.Northern Ireland legend David Healy, a former Lisburn Youth player recently took part in a course to take his coaching badges, alongside Lisburn Youth's Nicky Maye.
Northern Ireland legend David Healy, a former Lisburn Youth player recently took part in a course to take his coaching badges, alongside Lisburn Youth's Nicky Maye.

Nicky spent time rubbing shoulders with some of the legends of the game during the course, the famous and the infamous, including Northern Ireland legend David Healy, former Valenica and Barcelona star Gaizka Mendieta and football’s very own bad boy, Joey Barton.

Nicky took time to tell us in his own words about his time taking part in the course, and some of football’s famous faces he was working with.

Nicky said: “ My course started on Saturday June 1 to Friday June 7. As I reported to Queen’s Pavilion - I had already completed my UEFA B part 1 in February 2012 - I knew it was going to be intense week. Seven days of 9am to 9pm coaching on the pitch and lectures.

“I heard a few rumours of famous footballers going to be on the course but when a mini bus pulled up I didn’t expect who was going to get off - first was former Barcelona, Valencia, Lazio and Middlesborough star Gaizka Mendieta,football bad boy Joey Barton, currently on loan at Marseille, Northern Ireland stars David Healy, ex player of my junior club Lisburn Youth, Northern Ireland goalkeeper Maik Taylor, Blackburn Rovers star David Dunn, former Manchester United and West Brom star Jonathan Greening, Steve Harper, ex Newcastle goal keeper and also Sky Sports’ Spanish reporter Guillem Balague - and a list of some more ex footballers - I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“At this stage I got nervous, but as the week went by I got to know the guys and they were so helpful.

“David Healy spoke to me a lot as he knew I was from Lisburn Youth and David spent 6 years there and still has a lot of time for the club that got him to Manchester United and still speaks highly of them - we chatted about the course and our assessments even one night sitting down with David Healy and Maik Taylor to go through an assessment together and talking tactics, they were so helpful.

“A big highlight of the week for me was having to go down with the pros and take part in a 9v9 match for an assessment I ended up in midfield with Joey Barton and David Dunn and upfront was David Healy and Gaizka Mendieta and later on I played upfront with ex Barcelona and Spain star Mendieta, I had to pinch myself.

“The week really helped and speaking to these professional players was fantastic even they were so nervous during assessments.

“Joey Barton for all the bad press he gets was such a nice guy and had a lot of time and encouragement for us junior coaches.

“The whole week was unbelievable and so well run by Irish Football Association and has helped give me more experience as a coach. I have now made great friends with coaches from America, Australia and Canada who flew in to take part in the course.

“I would like to thank my club Lisburn Youth for helping me with funding for the course for me and giving me this opportunity and also the big support throughout it and wanting one of their coaches to progress in the game.”