Jordan Parker on his new role with United
Keeper Jordan Parker spoke to us about his new role at the club as he comes to the end of his two-year YTS spell with the U18 set-up.
"We've come to an agreement about what we're going to do next season now," he said.
"Eric [Kinder] has helped me with it all and I'll be working full-time at the Academy with Ben [Benson].
"The FITC lads are trying to help me out and I'll do some part-time coaching with them over the summer months. Hopefully that will lead to something more permanent with them as well. The Academy and FITC is all on the coaching side of things, which is very exciting."
"Ben Benson first spoke to me about the possibility of helping out in the Academy last summer when we went on our pre-season trip to Wales. I've been doing it every Tuesday and Thursday since then and I've really enjoyed it. When I found out I wasn't getting a professional contract I jumped at the chance of carrying it on."
"It's a bit of a pat on the back because it means that the work I've done over the past two years has been good enough for them to want to keep me at the club," he admitted. "I'm just really looking forward to it now.
"I have the level two coaching badge from my time with the youth team. I'm going to build on that to get my goalkeeping badge. Unfortunately you can't get your UEFA badges until you're 21, so I want to get as much experience as I can between now and then."
"I do still want to be playing," he continued. "I'm having trials at Workington at the moment so, hopefully, I'll get some good news from that. James Tose from FITC has asked me about playing Futsal and that'll be something else I think I would enjoy.
"Caigy [Tony Caig] is looking for other clubs for me if it doesn't come off with Workington. If that doesn't happen then that's probably when I'll really start to consider the Futsal option. At least that would keep me involved in playing the game."
"It was heartbreaking to be told that I wasn't going to get a contract" he admitted. "It's what I've wanted all my life so it was difficult to be told that it wasn't for me.
"I want to help out with the coaching as much as I can and just see what happens from there. It's important for me that I'm staying involved in football rather than having to go and find another career. I'm determined to give this everything I've got."
Speaking about his time with the youth team, he said: "The highlight over the past two years is probably the youth cup game down at Fulham.
"It was a brilliant experience because we stayed over and did it like the first team do. On top of that we were really unlucky not to win the game.
"The end of the two year stay feels strange. You're obviously really pleased for the lads who got the contract offers, but it's really difficult to see the other lads leave.
"We're going to try and keep in touch because we've probably spent two of the best years of our lives together."
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