Firstly Dan, how do you reflect on your five years with The FA?
I’ve had a brilliant time, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m a proud Englishman and it’s been a privilege to work for the governing body and for England. We’ve certainly seen some promising signs and major successes and there’s been some ups and downs too, but overall, in the five and a half years I’ve been here, I’ve loved every minute. To be able to work at the new facility at St. George’s Park, which has given us the catalyst and a springboard into success, has been a privilege.
It’s very evident that we are already seeing the success of St George’s Park and the structure which exists there, so do you think the future looks incredibly bright?
It was well before my time that the Board had the foresight to build what is effectively a training ground. Any club wouldn’t be able to compete without a training ground and it’s the same for us. It enables us to share ideas, put all of the coaches and coach educators, from the male and female game, into one building and basically accelerate the learning and sharing of ideas which have put us into a good position. But the building is only bricks, you have to fill the building with the right people and we’ve got some really talented people at St. George’s Park which we’ve been lucky enough to invest in. The Board have really invested heavily into St. George’s Park and it’s starting to pay dividends.
Going back to 2013 when you arrived in your first role, what were your thoughts on the job and what you wanted, or expected, to achieve?
I’m a proud Englishman and, for a number of years working in professional football, I was sick to death of the perception that English coaches and players weren’t up to a world standard. I knew that was wrong. I’d been around the world in my previous roles looking at coaching and players and we were right up there with everybody else. So what I’m really proud of is that we’ve managed to help put English players and coaches back on the map, through our senior teams, our development teams and our coach education programmes. St. George’s Park and the people working there have really helped that, so to have played a part in helping us get back on the map makes me proud.
These last few years have seen unprecedented success for England teams, with a record third-place at the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and then two World Cups, the U19 Euros and multiple Toulon titles for the men in 2017…
You have to give the credit back to the clubs, because the majority of player development takes place back at their academies, as that’s where they spend most of their time. So the introduction of the EPPP and the wonderful coaching and opportunities that goes on at clubs at youth level means the raw material that comes through to England from the clubs is so much better than what it was even five years ago. There’s some really positive signs in player development and that bodes well for the future for both club and country.
This year’s run in the World Cup was also beyond most people’s expectations. That must also have given you a great deal of pride?
It wasn’t beyond our expectation. We knew we had a fantastic manager and a talented coaching team and some talented players. We’d been knocking on the door and doing well at development level and it was a young squad so it was maybe a tournament too soon, but we certainly had some positivity going into that tournament and that reflected in the results and performances. Gareth is a fantastic leader and the players really helped to inspire the nation. Our strapline is ‘Unite the game; inspire the nation’ and we were so proud of the way the players connected with the supporters. It really did inspire the nation for that period of time. We were in Russia so we didn’t see it all personally, but people talk about how the fans re-connected with the England team which is something we should all be really proud of.
Was there ever a pivotal moment during your time when you felt that things were beginning to click into place behind the scenes? Perhaps a specific game, get-together or training camp?
I think there are moments in any job where you think you’re making progress and then there’s moments when you think you haven’t made any. So in the five and a half years, I’ve experienced both of those. One moment that springs to mind is our first World Cup win with the U20s. I was lucky enough to be in the stadium in South Korea, watching an England team lift the World Cup. I’d been at plenty of other tournaments when I’ve seen other nations win the trophy with the glitter, ribbons and the fireworks, hoping and believing that one day it would be our turn. So to be there to see an England captain in Lewis Cook lifting a World Cup was a real proud moment and perhaps gave everyone the belief that we can compete on the world stage and that we do have some talented players and coaches.
What is your proudest achievement from your time at The FA?
It would be easy to relate to those team performances and trophies we’ve mentioned, but I think the progress made in coach education. We’ve re-vamped the delivery mechanism of education so we now go and visit people in-situ at both grassroots and pro game level. So rather than everyone coming to one central venue, we’ll go out to the clubs and support them. It’s been a challenge but has really helped us to make progress. Also, the relationship that we’ve built with the County FAs and the professional clubs, but the biggest thing is probably the people who are at The FA now. We have some top, top quality people who are specialists in their field and I think St. George’s Park is in a good position. People know their jobs and know what they’re doing, so I’m sure the success will continue as it’s in a really good place. But it’s been a rollercoaster. There’s certainly some results and situations which have been disappointing, but I wouldn’t have thought anyone working in their job for a number of years wouldn’t have had those moments. As I have already said, I think the future is really bright and we have some great direction from Greg [Clarke] and Martin [Glenn], a really strong senior management team and some great backing from the Board. I think The FA is in a wonderful place and I am really excited to be able to watch the progress which will be made, albeit from a bit further afield now.
St. George’s Park has been up and running for over five years now and has evolved greatly during that time. How important has that been in providing a base for everything for both England teams and aspiring coaches?
It’s two-fold really. It gives us an opportunity to share ideas and for the coaches, coach educators and all the staff to be together on a daily basis. It’s also given us an inspirational home for the England players. Every time they drive up that driveway, which is inspiring in itself, to feel that you are coming back home as an England player, it’s allowed us to connect the pathways so not only can coaches share ideas, the players can also interact. There have been some wonderful moments, seeing the men’s and women’s senior teams in the gym at the same time has been brilliant, again the men’s U21s and the seniors training together has been brilliant. For the players to be able to have an inspiring home before they pull on that England shirt has been hugely beneficial.
Was it was a difficult decision to take?
Yes, a really difficult decision. I always thought when I took the job it would be about a five-year project and it’s been five and half years, almost six by the time I leave. But I think in any leadership role, five or six years is a good stint. I have to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute here. There has been no push factor, I wasn’t looking to leave and I am not unhappy in the job at all. Indeed, as I have already said, it’s in a wonderful place and it’s been a brilliant job. The one thing I have made no secret of is that I was also really lucky in that I thoroughly enjoyed my time in club football as well and the one thing the England job can’t give me is that daily contact with players. I passionately believe in developing young players and working with players on a daily basis and the buying and selling of players to build a team and a squad. We never buy or sell anybody as an England team. I have missed those two facets of the job so it’s an opportunity that Brighton, which is a wonderful club with a brilliant project, have given me. They have fantastic people to work with, and to work for, which has led me to make the decision to leave The FA and go back into club football.
Looking forward, it was well documented about the target for the men’s senior team to challenge for the World Cup in 2022. Do you feel as though you’re leaving with unfinished business?
I mean, I’ll be honest, that was part of my dilemma really, in a cycle where I think we’re making progress. But the role of the technical director is not necessarily to get the team on the pitch to win games, it’s to put the structure, a plan or DNA in place to enable the country to benefit from some long-term success. Gareth is very competent at his job, at getting his players on the pitch and winning enough football matches to make the nation proud and compete in the later stages of tournaments. The infrastructure is in place, the people are in place and we’ve got really good coaches and managers throughout the age groups in both the men’s and women’s teams so it’s their job to help us get over the line. It’s so difficult to win a World Cup or a European Championship at any level, because they’re knock-out competitions and you only need a bad day or a bad moment and that’s it for another few years. But the teams at all levels have shown over the last couple of years that they’re capable of getting to the latter stages of tournaments, and then who knows? Do I think we’re capable of winning something in the next two, four, six or eight years? I certainly believe we have the talent in coaches, players and staff in place, yes.
Returning focus to The FA, where does it go from here?
We’ve got really strong leadership through the Chairman Greg Clarke and CEO Martin Glenn, who’ve both been really strong and supportive in everything we’ve wanted to do from an England and coach education point of view. The Board have also been very supportive, not only with St. George’s Park, but the infrastructure of it all, so I think we have some really strong roots and I fully expect it to go from strength to strength.
Will you play a role in helping to recruit your successor?
Yes. I had a brief discussion with Martin this [Wednesday] morning when I resigned and he would like my input in trying to find a successor and it will be a privilege and honour to do so. I’m the sort of person who wouldn’t want to leave with any bad feeling, so I respect the fact I’ve got a notice period and I will be fully committed and focused in my job and if Martin needs my help in finding the next technical director, then I’ll be delighted to do so.
