'I was Declan Rice's coach and now I'm after Euro success with Czech minnows'

27 October 2023 , 06:00

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A former coach to Arsenal and England star Declan Rice is making huge strides of development in the Czech Premier League - becoming the league's first-ever English coach by taking up a role with Banik Ostrava.

Danny Searle, formerly a coach at Chelsea and Charlton Athletic, made the decision to up sticks and move to the Czech border town in the summer after being sacked from the post of manager at Irish First Division side Waterford. The north-eastern Czech team find themselves fifth in the standings, fighting for a place in the league's Championship play-offs.

Should they get there, they will have a fighting chance of competing in one of UEFA's European competitions next season.

The 45-year-old, who completed his UEFA 'A' Licence alongside Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, said his lack of playing experience means he "has to do things a little bit differently" to reach his goal of coaching at the top level in England. Searle admits his move to the central European country came "a bit out of the blue" having been contacted by former West Ham United goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko, the club's sporting director.

"Ludek contacted me and said he wanted to improve the level and intensity of the coaching and would I be interested in coming out to the Czech Republic," Searle told Mirror Football. "I wasn't really prepared for it.

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"They flew me out and showed me round the facilities. The club told me the ins and outs of Ostrava, what it's like, the community, the fanbase and everything. I thought for my development it could be a great experience. It's a phenomenal club."

Searle is the latest in a line of English coaches to head overseas for an opportunity in the dug-out. Roy Hodgson and Graham Potter both found themselves in Sweden in the early stages of their managerial careers, whilst ex- Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew opted for a move to The Netherlands with ADO Den Haag after 20 years of managing in England.

Unlike those three, however, Searle does not have the benefit of having been a professional player for an extensive time to support his efforts. He also claims to be the league's first-ever English coach, meaning he is spending plenty of hours each week in tutor-led classrooms and on Duolingo to learn Czech.

'I was Declan Rice's coach and now I'm after Euro success with Czech minnows'

Roy Hodgson during his time as Inter Milan boss (Getty Images)

He said: "I haven't had an illustrious playing career. I've not got 300-400 Premier League appearances. I always knew I'd have to do things a little bit differently, maybe having to hit things from a different angle. I've never been against working in those environments anyway.

"When I had the experience in Ireland, it's not miles away but it's not England, the exposure to different cultures, playing styles, and players was enjoyable. From my perspective to help develop my knowledge and tactical awareness I thought moving to Czech Republic was a move I wanted to take and was fully interested in.

"The end goal is to work at the highest level but it's a journey and one that takes many twists and turns."

He added: "I definitely think there is more value in coaches with our background than there can be with ex-players. Knowing the game of football and understanding it is one thing, but being able to transfer that to sessions and a philosophy is not easy. Just because you've played for a long time does not mean you have the skills to transfer that to a squad of players.

"Obviously there are a lot of ex-pros who have proven that in abundance, but some of the best managers over past 15/20 years would equally be considered as not being top footballers. But their knowledge of the game and understanding of how players work, building relations with those in the dressing room, is a different skillset. It's something I'm strong at and constantly building on. There's lots of coaches out there with similar backgrounds to me who, if given the opportunity, could do a good job."

Banik Ostrava, based on the Czech border with a population only slightly larger than Plymouth, find themselves fifth in the Czech First League standings with a third of the season complete already. If they can remain there come the end of their 30-game campaign, they will then take on each of the top six in one-off matches to determine who will qualify for the European competitions.

"They were nearly relegated last year so the general consensus at the start of the year was not very optimistic about European qualification," Searle said. "But the squad we've got and the team we've got, I look at the league and we've nearly played everyone and I don't see any reason why we can't challenge for the top few places for a Championship play-off spot. It's then cup games and I don't see anyone who we should be fearful of."