Right now, the lure of the training field is still strong for me and it is my preferred destination. In education, though, I have enjoyed putting myself through the process of being a student.

It was tough to start with because it was the first time that I’d had to write an essay since school. My first effort to the level of work I can produce now is like night and day, I know how to reference and write academically and my work is so much more structured.

I have just gone through the American Director of Coaching modules with the SFA too and learned more about the system in the States. I met Andy Thomson on my A Licence who is a fellow Football Careers client: he has worked in the USL with both San Antonio and Miami FC.

You learn about the challenges you face as a coach abroad and how to improve yourself from people like that and I feel that is very important.

The transition from player to coach

For the last four seasons, what I would do when I stopped playing has always been in the back of my mind.

I started to watch games differently on TV, to think as a coach and be more analytical. In training, I would be pondering why we were doing certain drills or functions and what the thinking was behind it.

The penny drops that you have the next part of your life ahead of you. From Talent ID to First Aid to Data Analysis, I try to cover all the bases now and make myself more rounded as a coach.

I want to be able to understand the role of everyone on the staff and I think that’s vital in the modern game. Look at the likes of Graham Potter now at Chelsea and you see they are educated and more rounded people who think deeply about the game.

I have been in this game for 20 years and when you hang up your boots, you need to still have a routine and a purpose in your life. I’ve been doing Opposition Analysis and working with the SFA Performance School to keep me coaching on the grass and give something back to younger players.

I have my UEFA A Licence now and got that finished before I stopped playing which I think was important in terms of my pathway. There is a Pro Licence intake in 2023 and I aim to be on that to keep my development moving.

I was player-coach at Raith Rovers towards the end and this has all been a journey of discovery for me. I have found that networking is crucial: getting your name out there so people know you are available and qualified when those in-house jobs that might not be advertised come up.

That’s where the advice of Football Careers and the CVs and other materials they produce is so important. For instance, as a player you might not be on your LinkedIn much, but prospective employers look at that for coaches so I have been more active there.

It’s like me as a centre-half marking a top striker, you need every edge you can get. The first one, though, is to burst that Player Bubble and get out of the comfort zone to better yourself.