PETER SHAW

Operations Manager

After years in the coaching industry it was time to do it differently: sat across the table from Joe and Ryan in a Warrington coffee shop, SK Football Coaching was born - a community based coaching organisation designed to support the growth and development of players in the North West.

What was the inspiration behind founding SKFC?

SK was really intended just to be a hobby - a hobby that made a difference to junior football. We wanted to combine professional coaching with a community ethos - at the time we felt too many organisations were too financially driven, we wanted to change that for our area. It's an ethos that has grown with SK, one that we hold very close to us today.

What is your coaching philosophy?

To have the ability to coach players that will become adaptable in any position they play and to be able to be comfortable in and out of possession in any match situations. For players to be structured out of possession and unpredictable when in possession.

What football team do you support?

Liverpool are my team because my whole family are reds, expect my Nan who is the only Evertonian in the family! I’m also from Liverpool originally and lived a short 10 minute walk away from Melwood Training ground - growing up an LFC supporter in Manchester was interesting, I was surrounded by United fans at school, but who's laughing now?

Who are your coaching inspirations?

I've taken inspiration from many coaches during my life - Rafa Benitez, André Villas-Boas and Diego Simeone have all made an impact on me. But two coaches in particular have all of the qualities I aspire to possess as a coach: Jurgen Klopp and Brendan Rodgers.

Klopp is the best manager in the world at the moment and he's transformed Liverpool from a pretty mediocre side into one of the best in Europe. He bought into not only what it means to be a Liverpool fan, but what it's like to come from the city itself. I was a huge fan of his Dortmund side that made it to the 2012 Champions League final, as they were at their best whilst I was in school.

And Rodgers because he is an inspiration to all young coaches as his career ended at 20 at but he was able to put the pain of not becoming pro aside and focus on his coaching. To have the career he has had in professional football after not playing much, shows what can be achieved through hard work and desire to become a top coach.

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Who are your favourite footballers?

Arjen Robben is my sort of player allover - he mastered his left foot so well that players just didn’t know how to defend against it. He was a pivotal member of the 12/13 Bayern Munich side managed by Jupp Heynckes that won the treble that season - they were one of my favourite teams to watch.