He put on his first sessions while a defender at Wycombe, taking the club foundation’s under-16s. I learned very quickly: if I’m going to do this in front of men – hopefully, eventually – then I need to practise.” He accepted the role of Brighton’s under-21s assistant at the start of last year and recently returned to the role after two months in interim charge this summer, while the head coach, Shannon Ruth, supported Fabian Hürzeler’s first-team staff. McCarthy has huge admiration for Hürzeler, Brighton’s impressive 33-year-old head coach who at 31 became the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history and was part of his interview process.
What sort of teams do I watch? When did I realise that I wanted to be a coach?’ He retired at 23, so he was really empathetic: ‘It’s scary, it’s daunting, people will tell you to keep on playing, but trust the feeling you have.’” Brighton, third in the top flight before visiting Sunderland on Saturday after a flying start, are frequently referenced as a model club. McCarthy chuckles as a moment that speaks to Hürzeler’s “incredible growth mindset” crosses his mind.
I think he read somewhere that taking on information while exercising can help you remember it. He’s constantly trying to improve himself. How can you not be inspired by that?” Across an hour in McCarthy’s company, his passion for the role and joy at helping others prosper becomes apparent, as does his gratitude to Brighton for giving him the opportunity to express himself as a coach.
Before he joined, their approach fascinated him from afar. They don’t just go tried and tested. They might listen to a 29-year-old who’s potentially retiring.’ Brighton, in my opinion, are the most forward-thinking club in the world.” He cites Mauricio Pochettino, whose work he saw first-hand at Southampton, as another source of inspiration.
McCarthy made 301 career appearances for clubsu across the top four divisions, one of those coming in the Premier League when Ronald Koeman handed him his Southampton debut as an 87th-minute substitute at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day in 2014. I was on the right with [Sadio] Mané … crazy. Koeman was a lot colder than Pochettino, but a very good coach.
He’d make me feel terrible; he liked joining in drills – he was in his 50s but he’d never lose the ball and here I was, couldn’t trap a bag of cement. Even at that age I was curious about coaching and management styles.” McCarthy, 31 next month, tells a lovely story about Pochettino at Southampton. He was 17 and cleaning José Fonte’s boots when he felt an arm on his shoulder.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
