Norwich City captain Russell Martin is pressing on with his long-term plans to go into coaching when he retires as a player, thanks to the help of a Norfolk college.
The 30-year-old defender has been working with the football academy at Easton & Otley College to help him gain his Uefa B coaching qualification.
That saw the Scotland international – who played in a 1-0 friendly loss to Italy in Malta on Sunday – undertake much of his 17 hours of coaching at the college's football academy at its Easton campus.
'With the Uefa A badge, I will need to do even more hours so I will be looking to come back next year if the college allows it,' Martin said.
'I'm 100pc doing this not just to tick a box – I genuinely want to become a coach or a manager in the long term future, that's the plan.'
Martin is heading into his eighth season as a Canaries player, since signing from Peterborough when City were in League One, and enjoyed his involvement with the Easton football academy.
'The students have been great – very receptive,' he continued. 'There is a lot of talent – some great facilities and the college has been really supportive.
'Hopefully the lads have been getting good stuff out of it – it's about getting experience for me and passing on some knowledge to them.'
To say thanks to the college for their support, Martin went along to present trophies to some academy members who successfully won the Thurlow Nunn Youth League North Division last season, in a tight title battle with Swaffham Town Under-18s.
'When I was asked to come along to hand out the trophies to the players for the winning the league it was my pleasure – the least I could do,' Martin added.
'It's no surprise to me that they won the league having seen some of the talent in the coaching sessions that I put on.
'I think the academy is a great programme. I'm looking at setting up my own programme back at my old college in Brighton in the future. I've seen what they have done here and it has inspired me. I think the programme (at Easton & Otley) is great and you get an education as well which is vital.'
Dan Connelly, from the academy at the college, said: 'We would like to thank Russell for his support of the college both at this event and throughout the year.
'We have had a number of current and ex-professionals who have given sessions at the college and this can only help and inspire our students. We look forward to working with Russell again next year.'
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