Jack Collison has ‘unfinished business’ and ex-West Ham star wants to follow Eddie Howe by becoming top boss
JACK COLLISON has unfinished business with football.
The West Ham cult hero, 33, has a burning desire to make it as a manager after his playing career was cut short by a persistent knee injury.
Collison is in his first managerial role with Atlanta United 2 in the USA after retiring at the age of 27.
But the former midfielder knew the writing was on the wall at just 20 so his coaching pathway is inspired by Eddie Howe, Chris Coleman and Brendan Rodgers, who all moved into the dugout at a young age.
A return to his beloved West Ham as a coach is the long-term dream after he got a taste as Hammers' Under-16 manager between 2017-19 before moving to the USA.
Collison was promoted from Atlanta's academy coach to their second side last June and finished seventh in his first season in charge in the USL Championship.
But, ahead of the new season which kicks off against Tormenta this weekend, the 16-cap Wales international is determined to earn his stripes Stateside first.
Collison said: "It was a big step leaving West Ham. I'd been there for ten years as a player and then a coach in the academy. I was looking to jump out of my comfort zone and it's lived up to expectations. I'm really enjoying the role.
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"I did the initial injury at 20 and I was never fully fit after that. As a footballer you feel you are invincible and I never thought the injury would hold me back.
“I retired at 27 but my career was over at 23. I knew I was on my way out.
"What that did for me was light a fire within me. There was almost a sense of unfinished business with the game. That fire inside me now is driving me to be the best coach I can be.
"The things I really miss are those intense feelings on a match day, the unknown before a game, walking out in front of big crowds in big games where it really matters, the pressure of trying to find a winner or holding on for a result at the end of a game.
“I miss all of them and it’s pushing me daily to get better. I'm building up to get to that point again. I'm slowly getting there."
WEST HAM GRADUATE
Collison graduated through West Ham's academy and made more than 100 first-team appearances and played alongside Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey for his country.
But the promising midfielder failed to shake off the knee problems which led to his premature retirement in 2016.
In that time, Collison had seen the highs and lows of the Hammers with both Premier League relegation under Avram Grant and then promotion back to the top-flight led by Sam Allardyce.
He added: "I got released by West Ham in 2014 when my contract ran out, Big Sam called me and said: "Look, we're not taking up the option on your extra couple of years. Thanks for your efforts, see you later." We had a good relationship and I respected him a lot but I knew it was coming.
“I wasn't playing and I wasn't fit. I was struggling and in a lot of pain. I was hardly walking, never mind being able to play.
“I returned to Peterborough the following year with the thought of playing and kick-starting my career again.
"But it didn't work out. Within three or four games, I knew I was miles off it. I had all these young kids running rings around me. It got to a point at Christmas where I knew I was done. We played Coventry away, we were 2-0 up, I came on at half-time and we lost 3-2.
"It wasn't completely my fault but as a senior player I looked around the changing room and thought two things.
“One, I didn't want to be remembered for being crap. Two, I didn't want to stand in the way of good young players.
"I had chucked everything at it to try and get fit. Now was the right time to start the next journey and path."
A FATEFUL ZOOM CALL
A coaching spell with Peterborough's Under-18s followed before Collison helped West Ham's next generation. Then came the offer of moving to America via a Zoom call.
Collison said: "It came through mutual friends and I ended up chatting to Tony Annan, who was Atlanta’s then academy director. We jumped on a zoom and clicked straight away. He told me the vision for the club and academy. They had big ideas and dreams.
"I went to the training ground and I was blown away. It's such an amazing facility. I also got the chance to watch a game at the Mercedes-Benz (stadium) and it was mind-blowing. An incredible experience.
“Having an opportunity to play a small part in trying to build something great from the ground up really captured me. It was too good an opportunity to turn down.
"I'd been at West Ham for so long and didn't want to get stale. I knew I had more work to do and hours to spend on the grass to find my way.
"I started at the academy and then moved up to the second team - it's been perfect timing.
"I'm an enthusiastic coach, I love being out on the training pitch because I need to earn my stripes. I can put on a good session but I'm still developing my tactical and management side.
"When we look back at the end of the season I’d like to think it was a good move for the club and by putting their faith in me they will start to reap the rewards in the years to come with young players who have had so much experience in a professional league."
Collison, who took his coaching badges with the Welsh FA following Roberto Martinez, Chris Wilder and Patrick Vieira, says coaches 'are the greatest thieves'.
I'm competitive and I want to be the best coach I can be and that's coaching at the highest level possible
Jack Collison
So what has the Watford-born ace stolen from his former managers or coaching peers?
He laughed and said: "Even within my short playing career I got to experience so much. I was a young and upcoming player, in the team, out the team, out on loan, injured, relegated, promoted. It gave me a good grounding. I've taken little pieces off these big coaches and guys I really look up.
“Eddie Howe's sessions at Bournemouth were incredible, always buzzing, lively, competitive and intense, Chris Coleman with Wales and the way he made you feel and his man-management, bringing big egos together and getting the team to buy into what he wanted was great to see.
"Gary Speed was exactly the same, you would walk out of the room and feel ten feet tall, Gianfranco Zola had the most care of not just his team but the players outside in the squad.
”An absolute legend of the Premier League would take me, a langy 18 or 19-year-old for 20-30 minutes after training to work on how to trap a ball.
"As a coach, I worked at West Ham under Manuel Pellegrini and David Moyes. I still speak to the guys, Kevin Nolan is a really good friend of mine and it's great to see him in the backroom staff and having such a big part to play in West Ham's good fortunes.
"Football is a great sport for sharing. Someone told me, 'Football coaches are the greatest thieves'.
"You see something good, you like it, take it and try to make it your own.
“It's great to have those relationships. I'm looking at West Ham, seeing them do so well and I'm saying to Kevin, 'Right, what's going on, what are you doing? why's it going so well?
"You pick up little gems. As a coach you find your own style and ultimately you’re either successful or not. I'm inspired to push myself to try and reach those heights and go above and beyond. I'm competitive and I want to be the best coach I can be and that's coaching at the highest level possible.
"I certainly feel like there's unfinished business back at West Ham. It would be an attractive proposition because of the history I have with the club.
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"Being a young player out of the academy to making the first team...I think those fans love nothing more than seeing one of their own making the breakthrough and doing well on the pitch.
"I came back as an academy coach so the next step is to go back and be around it as a first-team coach. It's such a wonderful club. Longer term, it would be a real fairytale story to get the opportunity to go back there and coach one day."
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