Charlton U23s boss Jason Euell recently joined an elite group of coaches by graduating with his UEFA Pro Licence.
Euell – along with 26 other aspiring coaches – had been studying for the qualification for the past 18 months and, in June, he was presented with his certificate by former recipients Darren Moore and Tony Mowbray.
The UEFA Pro Licence, also known as the FA Level 5 Coaching Course, is the FA’s highest coaching qualification and Nicky Butt, David James, Nemanja Vidic, James Beattie and former Addick Andy Hughes were among those to graduate alongside Euell.
Euell, the Addicks’ U23s boss, said: “I’m really, really pleased to have got my UEFA Pro Licence after a really enjoyable - and long - 18 months. The cohort group was a great set of people to go on the journey with including all the staff and I loved the whole experience from start to finish.”
For the graduates, the past 18 months has been about preparing them for managerial and coaching roles at the elite level of the game – including international, Premier League, Football League and FA Women’s Super League level.
Course lead Guy Whittingham said: “It is with great pride that we at The FA congratulate the 2017-18 UEFA Pro Licence cohort on the completion of their course.
“Over the previous 18 months, we demanded a huge amount of commitment and dedication both on the course and at their places of work, they excelled with both.
“By building on their strength and qualities and facilitating their learning, we hope we have helped prepare them for the realities of working at the very top of their profession.
“We wish them all well in the future in this fascinating world of football.”
As well as receiving their qualification, all graduates were formally inducted into The FA Level 5 Alumni programme - a new initiative set up by The FA to create a coaching network that exists beyond the FA Level 5 qualification and provides members with access to seasonal development opportunities that support life-long peer-to-peer learning.
The aim is to create a valued and engaged group of Level 5 graduates from both The FA’s coaching and talent ID pathways, who regularly take part in FA learning events and continuous professional development.
What’s more, it will provide graduates with learning opportunities as coaches, managers and technical directors and encourages Alumni members to help develop others at Level 4 or 5 by delivering content on future courses and sharing knowledge and experience.