By ROY WARD
MAZENOD Soccer Club senior coach Nick D’Angelo admits he never expected to coach anyone trained by legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
But that all changed when Mazenod signed former Red Devils and Melbourne Victory midfielder Grant Brebner earlier this month.
The 35-year-old star will play and coach juniors at Mazenod College this year along with a possible other marquee signing, leaving the club well placed to contend for the title in the FFV State League 5 competition after the club won the now-defunct metro league competition last season.
D’Angelo, a former VPL coach, said he was still surprised to have Brebner running around in his paddock and he couldn’t speak more highly of the two-time A League champion. “When you take on these jobs, especially in state league 5, you are sort of lucky if someone in the side has played three divisions higher,” he said.
“Players with that sort of experience are like a [Alessandro] Del Piero in your team, so to have a bloke like Grant who is highly decorated and has such an impressive CV — I didn’t expect to be coaching someone coached by Sir Alex.”
Brebner came to the club as he was friends with some of the Mazenod board members and he has quickly forced up the standard of his teammates along with players in the club’s fledgling junior program, which in his first season has recruited more than 100 players.
“Brebs has been fantastic,” D’Angelo said.
“All he wants to do is put something back into grassroots football. He has played at the highest levels and he is only 35, so could be playing at a higher level but decided to help us out.
“We have some good 17, 18 and 19-year-old kids and they come from good footballing backgrounds and he is like a mentor for them.
“Everyone lifts at training when he is around. It’s like the boys want to impress him, so it’s been all positive.”
D’Angelo expects Brebner to fall into his usual defensive midfielder role.
D’Angelo encouraged football fans to come and watch his team during the coming FFV season.
Mazenod plays at Mazenod College campus on Kernot Avenue, Mulgrave.
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