A former coach of Chelsea and Brighton has found himself playing a key role in helping to develop title-winning youngsters at Clach.
Kojo Agyei – known as Adj – has joined forces with Lilywhites coaches Gavin Walker and Drew Martin and the trio, supported by willing parents, have seen the boys land the SYFA Moray Firth Under-14 Youth Development League (West Section), winning all 13 games in the process.
From next week, they will compete against two Elgin sides, one from Forres and one from Buckie to try to continue their dominance against the strongest opponents from the east section.
Adj has bounced back from being told by medics a hip replacement would sideline him from coaching three years ago to being a driving force with sky high standards, which the young players are matching each time.
He explained it was a chance one-on-one coaching opportunity which led to him getting involved with Clach.
Door opened unexpectedly at Clach
He said: “I live in Cromarty and last summer one of the mothers nearby asked me to coach her son. She thought, given who I had worked for, I would be a good role model for him.
“I began training him in my garage gym and, after kicking a ball around, I saw he was quite good at football. We started going to the park and playing football and it then made sense I would take him along to football training.
“I took him along to the first Clach session of the season. From that, Gavin asked me, because of my coaching background, whether I’d mind training the boys. I was quite happy to do that, although I did say I didn’t want to get involved in picking the team.
“I just wanted to train and improve the boys. Gavin has been amazing. I’m a UEFA B Licenced-coach who has come from Brighton and Chelsea and I am very demanding.”
Highland roots important to Adj
Football is in his blood, with his family background stemming from genuine footballing nations.
He said: “My late grandfather was called Hector Macdonald and he was born in Muir of Ord, so I am half Scottish.
“My mother was born in Brazil and is part English/part Scottish and my father is from Ghana, so it’s quite a strong football heritage in my family.
“I have been a football coach, fitness trainer and yoga teacher for Chelsea and Brighton, for the men’s, boys’, youth and women’s team.
“I have my UEFA B Licence and this year I’m going to do my UEFA A. There are more courses in England than Scotland, so I might well have to study there, but I’m looking into it. It’s quite hard to book courses at the moment because of Covid.”
Defied the odds to return to coaching
Adj explained it’s not just the youngsters who have benefited from him being involved, as he has been boosted by getting back on the training pitch.
He added: “I had to have a hip replacement, so stopped coaching football for quite a while.
“The doctors didn’t think I’d be able to do it anymore, but then I discovered I could and I’d say it has really changed my life to coach these boys and mentor them and give them homework.
“Along with Jim Oliver (former Clach player and director), I have set up a group called Highlands Elite Football Development with Jackson Munro, the boy I started coaching, along with six other boys from Clach and one from Alness.
“I thought it would be worthwhile setting something up more in line with the standard of the English Premier League, which in turn could help the Scottish national team (in years to come). That’s what we’ve been working towards. My standards are really high and the boys have responded brilliantly.”
Delighted by winning run from side
And Adj hailed the boys’ attitude as they aspire to continue to learn and improve and, ultimately, be the best they can be.
He added: “At the start of the season, I said to them we’d be unbeaten all season. I don’t think anyone believed me, but we’ve won all 13 games to win the league.
Huge congratulations to our U14's who yesterday clinched their league section. They went through the whole campaign undefeated.
Well done to the players, parents and the coaches.
Absolutely brilliant stuff 👏@oriongroup pic.twitter.com/ULENj8c4en— Inverness Clachnacuddin FC (@clachfc) January 31, 2022
“Jackson scored 59 goals over the 13 games and overall they are such a great bunch of boys and the parents have been amazing.
“We now face the four strongest teams in the east section home and away and I have said I want us to win every game.
“That was my aim at the start of the season and we’re at the halfway stage. We have eight more games and we want to win every match.”
