By David Lee Wheatley
An Englishman abroad
Now a trusted aide of Carlo Ancelotti, Englishman Paul
Clement joined Real Madrid this week to assist the Italian at the Bernebeu on a
three-year deal.
Having helped Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title last
season alongside Ancelotti, as well as being part of a Chelsea set-up that
delivered the double under the former Juventus and Milan man, Clement tackles
another major challenge at the most glamorous football club on the planet.
Clement never played professionally, despite hailing from a family
that includes father Dave and brother Neil, who both played top-level football.
Instead, he got a degree in Sports Science before taking up a post as PE
teacher at Glenthorne High in Sutton. He also did some work at Chelsea’s Centre
of Excellence at the same time, but coaching the first-team stars at Cobham would
have been a distant dream.
He started out working with Chelsea youngsters aged 10-12,
before attaining his first full-time position with Fulham as Head of Education
and Welfare. He returned to Chelsea in 2007, forcing his way through the ranks
of the reserves and up to the first-team before helping to bring the league and
FA Cup double to Stamford Bridge, a feat that saw his stock rise considerably.
However, his mentor Ancelotti got unceremoniously dumped by Chelsea at the end
of the following season and Clement lost his position, too.
Blackburn Rovers’ beleaguered boss Steve Kean took Clement
on as his assistant in 2011 to provide some quality coaching support during
those dark days at Ewood Park. However, Carlo Ancelotti remembered him and
rated his abilities highly, taking him to France when presented as the new head
coach at PSG around Christmas 2011.
The galaxy of superstars on the team sheet at Parc des
Princes held no fear for the English coach after his successful spell working daily
with similar world-class individuals at Chelsea. In the 18 months that he spent
in Paris, another league championship was sealed last season which prompted strong
interest in Ancelotti’s services from Real Madrid.
A new adventure beckoned for Clement when his boss made it
abundantly clear that he wished to make the switch to Madrid and to take him
along for the ride. It’s the pinnacle of Clement’s colourful career, which transported
him from school teacher to assistant coach at the greatest club in the world.
It’s
an uplifting story that proves you can do anything you set your mind to in this
life and Clement has the opportunity to add another very impressive role to
an already spectacular CV. If the new coaching team at the Bernebeu reintroduce
attacking football that delivers results and trophies, then Clement and
Ancelotti could be at the helm of Real Madrid for many years to come.
facebook.com/DLWSports
Twitter @davewh1980
No comments:
Post a Comment