Manager Rob Edwards has given his thoughts on the two new additions to his Luton Town coaching staff, with Paul Trollope and Richie Kyle joining the Hatters as assistant-managers.
Edwards and Trollope’s history dates back two decades when the Town boss was a young Aston Villa centre-half, and midfielder Trollope – now 50 – was nearing the end of his playing days at Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers.
“Paul and I were in Wales squads together very early in my career, and a little bit more towards the end of his,” said the 39-year-old. “I’ve followed his coaching career very closely and we’ve seen each other at conferences, because we’ve done bits together for the FAW with our Wales links.
“We've been in touch a lot over the last few months, had a few good meetings and gone to a lot of games together.
“He gives us great experience, not only in the role that he’s going to be in for us, but he’s also been a manager in his own right – a successful one too – so he’ll have real good empathy for me.
“He knows what he’s doing both as a manager, and more recently as a coach in the Championship, and at the highest level in the Premier League with Chris Hughton.
“He was also a big part of the success when Wales got to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2016 under Chris Coleman, so he’s worked with top players and I’m really excited to add him to our coaching team.
“He’s a really good person, and he’ll fit in well with so many good people around the club. It’s important that I don’t upset that balance and I believe Paul’s a great coup for us both in that respect, and with his pedigree in the game.”
Including Blackpool, where Edwards had played and then spent time with Kyle at the start of his coaching journey, this will be the fourth time the pair have worked together as part of a coaching team.
“Our connection started when Richie was working at Blackpool,” said Edwards. “I still lived nearby in Lytham St Anne’s, where the youth team used to train. When I retired, he was kind enough to let me come in and watch him coach, then join in and take some sessions. We stayed in touch, and then the next time we worked together was at the FA.
“During that time he’d worked his way up to the first team at Blackpool, was involved in a promotion from League Two, as he’s done again since with us at Forest Green, and was doing great work leading the out-of-possession programme in specialist coaching for the FA.
“He went to become Canada national women’s team assistant for a short time, although it was only so short because I gave him the call to bring him back to Forest Green.
“Richie is a brilliant coach and person, and he’s vital for me to be able to operate because he knows how I work. The lads and the staff will love him. He’s got a really infectious character, he’s always positive, always lively. He’s a good one.”
On the trio working together in conjunction with the existing staff, the manager went on: “It’s a good dynamic, added to what is already a brilliant staff who are operating at such a high level.
“Richie is a lifelong coach who has been coaching since he was 16-17, so a long, long time now – 20 odd years. I’ve actually been coaching now for 10 years after playing, so we’ve got good experience between us.
“Add Paul into that now and it really makes us stronger, so I’m excited for us all to get working together with everyone already here at the club.”