iPhones NewsPUBLISHED: 01:30 EST, 12 August 2013 | UPDATED: 01:30 EST, 12 August 2013
Dario Gradi MBE is one of the most respected figures in English football. He began his coaching career as assistant manager at Chelsea in 1971, before short spells in varying capacities at Derby, Wimbledon and Crystal Palace. Gradi has become synonymous with the name Crewe Alexandra, this year celebrating thirty years with the club he managed between 1983 and 2007. Although he has twice returned to the managerial hotseat in a caretaker position, Gradi is now the Director of Football at Crewe, and still takes many academy coaching sessions at the age of 72.
That wasn't just a gesture - that was a team to win the game. We won the game and achieved promotion. That gave me so much pride. I remember saying to Dave Sexton once: 'Wouldn't it be great if we could produce a team of our own players?'
He wasn't keen because he liked to bring people in from the outside who offered something different.
I can see that view, and you always gave thought to what Dave Sexton said because he always spoke sense. In this instance, though, I thought it would be a nice thing to achieve.
We took Luke Varney from working in factory to having a good football league career. Danny Murphy went to the very top with Liverpool. We took Geoff Thomas from Rochdale's reserves and he went on to play for England.
Craig Hignett took us a few years to get into the right physical position but he became an outstanding player. There is no one in particular that I see as the most special, as with their own individual circumstances, they are all sources of huge pride.
And when he addresses the ball, is it smooth? That's a good starting point. Then, you have to gauge his physical development, which is more complicated. And then how bright they are.
He rang me up the next day and said: 'Do you want to do a deal?' And I said: 'I thought you were going to watch him for a bit first?' Sir Alex said: 'There's no point. I came to watch him and he's a good size, he's a good shape, he runs well, he's skilful, he's two-footed, he's bright and he can score goals.
What more do I need to know?' I know Alex didn't want to loan Nick out. In fact, he told us that he was finding it hard to leave Nick out of the team. He was maybe closer to the first-team then than what he is now.
But whatever route the new manager David Moyes wants Nick to take, he has to make it work. As it happens, David Moyes (as Everton manager) was at the same game as Sir Alex Ferguson watching Nick Powell, but he never spoke to me about him, whereas Sir Alex did.
All the big clubs would like to bring their own players through, but the demands are too great on managers and they won't take the risk.
I don't think they really knew. It was basically coaching coaches, which wasn't and isn't what I really want to do. It is what Trevor Brooking does really and he must find it very frustrating.
You aren't going to ring Sir Alex Ferguson up and say: 'I'm going to come in and tell your coaches how to coach.' I think the position is pretty impossible and it will be until a quota of English or British players is enforced.
You can coach and coach and coach, but youngsters need to play competitively. I think Chelsea had twenty players out on loan last season but they won't put the players in when they get them back, so it's pointless.
We can't hang on to our best players. For their benefit, too. We have to sell to survive. It probably led to my decision to step down as manager. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep winning and rebuilding. It wasn't monotonous but it was taking up all my life. I felt it was time to do other things and particularly to coach kids, which I love doing.
He said: 'I've found out we are after one of your boys. Would you like me to come and speak to him and tell him not to come? There is no point in him going to City. We have hundreds of them here and don't know what to do with them.' He signed for Liverpool in the end. That was through an agent who used to play for us. He touted him around. His dad saw the money.
The downside is that coaches are spending so much time on computers now, just recording what's been done, time spent on the pitch, time spent on this and that, all these things that have to be complied with. I want the coaches out there coaching. It's something I have my eye on.
The best video I have is 'Pele: The Master and his Methods' and I've had it put it on to DVD. We have a culture in this country where coaches shout 'pass it' but I'd like to hear them shout 'Keep the ball, do some work on the ball, show some skill'. That's what excites me and most others who watch football.
The sentence I use the most is 'you didn't play as well as you practised' and that's because of the nerves or the situation. Players need to feel free and relaxed. Nick Powell had only been playing a month and all our kid mascots said he was their favourite player. Why? Because he is a skilful, exciting footballer.
It is not just about football, it is about educating kids to have the right values. We do it automatically. There is not a set of rules. When you are coaching and one of the players has a spat, we clamp down on it.
Pele: The Master and his Methods
They don't question referees, they certainly don't argue with each other, they don't verbally or physically abuse each other, they apologise for any mistimed challenges. It is just about showing respect.
We show the opposition respect as coaches and expect the same in return. I remember a while ago when a kid, who is now a superstar, was playing in an under-18 game for a big club in the North West. One of the managers said something to him and the kid told his coach to 'f**k off'.
One of our subs sat near me said: 'If we'd have done that, we'd have been pulled off wouldn't we?' I said: 'Too true you would.' They didn't dare take him off because he was a superstar. He's become a big star - not for me he wouldn't - just on that.
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