Meet the coaches - Coach Thomas

Where have you previously coached?

Before working at Bloomsbury, I coached in Asia where I had previously been playing. I worked first as an academy coach and then as lead coach of Premier Football in Bangkok, Thailand. As well as this I worked as a head coach of senior age group teams at two leading International Schools.

What coach do you aspire to be like?

I think with everything, to be the best version of yourself, you have to always be true to who you are and in a constant state of learning. I want to apply that same mindset to my coaching. Throughout my life there have been so many coaches I admire whose teams I have loved to watch. I want to try and take pieces from all the coaches that have inspired me; Guardiola's technical and tactical attention to detail, Klopp's tactical prowess and ability to forge relationships with his players, SAF's ability to constantly evolve and manage players - and amalgamate those attributes with who I am as a coach and as a person. That's always been my aspiration and if I can achieve that, then hopefully one day I can be as successful as them.

What is your fondest football achievement?

Honestly there are so many that stick out for different reasons. Making my first appearances for the U19 team at school, at the age of 13 alongside one of my older brothers in a tournament that we went on to win, was special. Beating the best professional academy in Thailand in an international U16 SEA tournament was pretty special too - that team had players who are now capped at international level.

What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching at Bloomsbury Football Academy?

There are so many things about working at Bloomsbury that are rewarding, but for me there are two things in particular that stand out. The first is the rate at which I am learning and improving as a result of the professional coaching environment that we have created, it's something that I am extremely fortunate to be a part of. The second is most definitely the players that I get to work with across the academy - players are always the most important part of any club and having the opportunity to not only help them improve as footballers, but also evolve as people, is a special thing to be able to do. 

What football club do you support?

Norwich City FC. The greatest club in the world. 

Who is your favourite player?

I find it impossible to narrow it down to just one. My favourites, in no particular order - David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane. Norwich players fall into a different category.