ACCRINGTON Stanley Under-18s host Basford in the first round of the FA Youth Cup tonight and they will have a new face in the dug-out.
The Reds have added Estonia’s all time leading goalscorer to the club’s academy coaching staff with the appointment of Anders Oper as youth development lead coach.
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The 38-year-old scored 38 goals in 134 games for his national team during a playing career that spanned six different countries and Oper had been coaching the youngsters on part time basis but is now in a full-time role.
And he is delighted to have joined the League Two side.
“At the moment, what I’m doing, I’m very happy and I think it’s a good step, a good challenge,” he said. “I like it, it’s very interesting for me and I’m very excited for the future.
“After my playing career, I moved to England because of my wife. I had a football school in Estonia, and we had contact – a co-working - with Bolton Wanderers.
“Dave Bailey and Dave Fitzgerald (now Stanley coaches themselves) were involved there and that’s how I got to know them and here I am.”
Oper admits that he didn’t consider coaching during his playing days, which almost included a spell in England after a trial with Arsenal and talks with Sunderland in 2005 - but is now relishing passing on advice to the next generation of Stanley players.
He told Stanley’s website: “I can’t say I was thinking about coaching during my playing career; I was more focused on my football at the time so I didn’t do any coaching badges or licenses. I did these after my career.
“Then towards the end, it became a logical step. I was captain of my current club, I was playing for my country and I started thinking about younger players, trying to teach them what I know.
“Now I want to take things step by step first but I want to become a manager one day. I just don’t know where yet.”
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