Man Utd youth coach assesses club's "exciting" kids and his own rise ahead of cup final

Justin Cochrane started his coaching career while a teenage player at QPR when he placed an advert in his local paper for juniors to teach.

It didn’t make big news but the former Antigua and Barbuda international has been working his way up the coaching ladder helping youngsters ever since. His dedication behind the scenes has seen Cochrane earn a big reputation within the game at Spurs and England previously.

Now he will step out into the limelight as part of Manchester United ’s coaching staff overseeing their FA Youth Cup final bid alongside Travis Binnion. Described in June 2020 by England manager Gareth Southgate as “a top coach” in the making, Cochrane’s diligent work within the FA saw him almost appointed England U21 boss last summer.

Lee Carsley got the post ahead of him but Cochrane was soon offered another opportunity to become United’s head of player development and coaching in their academy. It marked a return to club life for Cochrane who coached Spurs’ kids at U12, U14, U16 and then U23 level before moving into the FA set-up.

Cochrane still draws upon some of the skills he learned as a 17-year-old apprentice at QPR when he started an U10s team in his local area of Edmonton, north London. Cochrane, who has a Pro Licence and a BA in leadership and management, said: “I started coaching 23 years ago at 17 in my local area with kids.

“The kids I coached are now 34-36. I have done a lot of hours and spent a lot of time coaching. Each time I just try to help other people fulfil their potential and that is what I have done this year. I am trying to help the players maximise their potential to see where they can get to and to keep pushing them. Whether you are coaching 10-year-olds or 18-19 year-olds, there are