The former England international, who lined-up in defence for Charlton Athletic, Leicester City and West Ham United among others during his career, completed his coaching studies back in June.
Having already had managerial experience at Charlton, as well as coaching England U17s last season, Powell told KickItOut.org he is ready to get back into the hotseat after gaining his Pro Licence.
"I was part of the first cohort to pass the Pro Licence at St George’s Park – which is fast becoming known as the home of football coaching and learning"
Chris Powell
"After 18 months of hard work, I finally gained my UEFA Pro Licence and became a fully qualified coach in June," said Powell, who is a leading ambassador for the charity.
"I will always look back on that achievement with real pride as I was part of the first cohort to pass the Pro Licence at St George’s Park – which is fast becoming known as the home of football coaching and learning.
"I shared the journey to getting the Pro Licence with a diverse group who all had a real love for the game. Some had played at the highest level, and others had spent time coaching abroad and in the lower leagues.
"Ryan Giggs, Paul Ince, Gary Neville, Micky Mellon, Wayne Burnett, Stephane Henchoz, Graham Kavanagh, Lois Fidler – only the third woman to pass the Pro Licence – and Alex Dyer and Nathan Jones – who were both on my staff at Charlton Athletic – were just a number of those on the course.
He continued: “There were some tough times, and sacrifices had to be made (including having to turn down a trip to the World Cup in Brazil!), but we all pulled each other through. I had to balance my studies with managing Charlton and thankfully John Peacock, the course director, was terrific and understood my day-to-day duties had to take priority."
Powell guided Charlton to promotion during his time at The Valley
Powell left his position as manager at the Valley in March, but the 44-year-old was not away from the training pitch for long.
"Shortly after leaving Charlton and separate from my studies, I had the pleasure of helping coach England U17s," explained the five-time capped former international.
"It came out of the blue after I was very kindly asked by John Peacock and Kenny Swain, and I helped them out during the qualifying stages for the European Championships, which the team went on to win in Malta in May.
"Sadly, I couldn’t get out there for it so I had to watch it on Eurosport. I jumped up for joy when they won the final against the Netherlands on penalties! I can tell you that they actually practiced penalties for 21 days after every training session to prepare themselves for the possibility. I was really proud of them when they managed to win it."
Now with his studies behind him, and with his batteries fully recharged after his first pre-season off since 1986, Powell revealed he is ready for his next challenge.
"I’m qualified to do any management job in this country or any other league in the world. I’m ready and raring to go again"
Powell on a managerial comeback
"Now I’ve got the Pro Licence I’m qualified to do any management job in this country or any other league in the world. I’m ready and raring to go again, and watching on this pre-season has given me that extra eagerness to get back to management," he said.
"I know I can manage, I know I can coach and I was successful during my time at Charlton. It was such a great experience for me, and I departed from the club through no fault of my own. It’s now about me making the same impression somewhere else when the opportunity arises.
"There are a lot of good managers and coaches that aren’t working at the minute so you have to be ready when the chance comes to get yourself back in. I am keeping myself fit and healthy so that if an interview comes, I can prove that I am the man for the job."
