Stepping out of the shadows of a famous footballing father can be a monumental task but Anthony Hudson is doing just that. Alan Hudson was a supremely talented footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Stoke in the seventies but Anthony is making his name as a bright young coach.
The 27-year-old's career took him to West Ham United, Luton Town and finally Dutch first division outfit NEC Nijmegen before he headed Stateside. With the help of the PFA's education fund, Hudson has developed into a coach of some repute and currently holds the UEFA 'A' Licence, USSF 'B' Licence and the FreeFlow coaching Licence as well.
He was also a guest speaker at the NSCAA 2008 National Coaches Convention, which is the world's largest gathering of coaches and included the likes of Gerard Houllier and Steve McClaren. Having spent two years as a coach at Wilmington Hammerheads, Hudson was appointed as Head Coach and Director of Programmes at Real Maryland Monarchs last month.
With the 2009 campaign still two months away, it is giving Hudson the opportunity to prepare for the biggest challenge of his life as he increases his coaching stock yet further.
Givemefootball.com's Ian Clarkson spoke exclusively to Hudson about his journey to date and how he ended up as one of the top coaches in the USA at the age of 27.
"I was offered an opportunity a few years ago to come out to the States and I took it," said Hudson. "We're in the off season at the moment so I've not taken my first training session at Real Maryland. I've found that being nervous for me is not bad thing," he added, responding to how he will feel when the squad arrive back for pre-season training.
"I just keep trying to throw myself in at the deep end and so far I'm enjoying every second of it and learning so much. This opportunity at Real Maryland has been amazing for me. The owners and GM have been fantastic. It's been a dream come true. I just can't wait for the season to come around now."
Hudson's own background is varied and he is convinced his stint in Holland as well as the USA has added a different dimension to his coaching ability. Current Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood was his manager at NEC and he has experienced a host of different opinions in the USA as well as his formative years being spent at West Ham's revered footballing academy.
Throw into the melting pot his own experiences of watching Stoke as youngster and a spell at Luton Town and you have got an eclectic mix. "Well, I've certainly learned some great lessons from those experiences, both football wise and as a person," he continued. "I think one thing it has forced me to do, is to mature a lot quicker. I love England and English football but I wouldn't trade one single day of the other countries I've been to."
Part of his education was undertaking the UEFA 'A' Level 4 coaching Licence, which he passed successfully alongside some big names such as Roy Keane, Steve Staunton and Gareth Southgate. He also holds the USSF 'B' Licence equivalent and will take their version of the 'A' Licence when finally gets some spare time!
However, he is also a strong advocate of a new Licence that has been developed and fits in with his holistic style of coaching. "A very good friend and a great coach, Malcolm Cook has been working for many years on putting FreeFlow together," said Hudson, referring to the FreeFlow Licence. "FreeFlow is based on some very sound and positive principles, encouraging players to find their own way or style, and really turning the responsibility of learning over to the player.
"I don't think I can fully do it justice with my definition, as I'm only just learning and experiencing it, but I really believe in it so far and I want to learn more. In fact, I wish I'd have been exposed to it myself as a young player. I recommend any coach out there to look it up. The PFA have been absolutely fantastic," he added, referring to the financial backing he has received to enable him to complete the coaching qualifications necessary he has achieved.
"The cost of coach education is huge but I see it as an absolute must. And for me, I enjoy learning and growing as a coach, I love the courses and I can get so much out of them. As a young coach scrapping away trying to progress, I can't tell you the amount of gratitude I have toward the PFA for their support. The staff as well, I've dealt with Jayne Bailey and Graham Mackrell who have been superb toward to me. They just make the journey even better!"
* Read Part 2 of Anthony Hudson's story tomorrow where he explains what it was like being son of Alan Hudson and why he spends time volunteering at a prison in North Carolina…
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