Kevin Nicholson interview: Getting the UEFA Pro Licence by 30

Earlier this year, 30-year-old Cardiff Under-21 head coach Kevin Nicholson became the youngest English coach with the UEFA Pro Licence. Adam Bate caught up with him to find out more…

For some in football, turning 30 is a time to begin contemplating what might happen once the playing career is over. For Cardiff's Kevin Nicholson the milestone has a very different significance - he's already achieved the game's gold standard coaching qualification.

In May, the Bluebirds Under-21 boss completed the UEFA Pro Licence and is currently the youngest Englishman holding the qualification. The achievement marks the end of one particular journey but Nicholson is hoping these are just the early steps along a pathway that will take him to the top of the profession.

"My main ambition is to become the best coach I can be," he tells Sky Sports. "I see myself as a coach who can work with players of all abilities and at all levels, so the goal is to coach at the highest level. All you can do is try to improve, gain credibility and improve your reputation."

The goal is to coach at the highest level.

The Pro Licence certainly helps in that regard, particularly for someone whose own hopes of a professional career suffered a blow at an early age when released by Derby. But Nicholson has managed to turn that negative into a positive by becoming a coach as early as possible.

"I've found it an advantage really, coming through at a young age," he says. "I was a player at youth level and didn't quite make the grade as a professional. So I took the time to develop myself as a coach, get the qualifications and pick up valuable experience.

"I've managed to do all that in the time when a professional player would still be playing the game. So I think for a young coach it's a chance to get ahead and that's essential when you're competing against ex-players.

"But I think the most important thing with the qualifications is the knowledge that you gain and the experiences you get. Whether it's the seminars or the sessions, you're taking stuff on board from some of the best coaches in the game."

As part of the inaugural intake for the FA Elite badge in 2013, Nicholson had the chance to engage with the likes of former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen and Premier League manager Sean Dyche. For the Pro Licence, ex-QPR boss Chris Ramsey gave a talk.

But having been at Derby and Exeter prior to being headhunted by Cardiff in the summer of 2013, Nicholson is used to working alongside men of experience. "You can't fail to take something from everyone you work with," he adds. "All the managers have influenced me.

"Nigel Clough was a great influence when I was at Derby and I was there throughout his time at the club. From there I moved to Exeter and had a great opportunity to work with Paul Tisdale. He was a big inspiration for me. You're only going to learn from these people."

Even so, the move to Cardiff was a step up, particularly when Nicholson took on the role of first-team coach for a period in the 2014/15 season. Having begun by coaching an Under-11 side in the academy at Stoke, he found himself in charge of senior international players.

He was a big inspiration for me.

So what's it like when the players are older than the coach? "A great challenge," he admits. "The first thing you have to do is gain the respect of some big names and talented players. The way I try to do it is through my coaching and getting feedback on my sessions."

What's particularly striking about Nicholson is his attention to detail. Open to the possibility of a career in management, he has already examined all the aspects of the job that a prospective boss must master in the modern game.

"On the Pro Licence, we all had to deliver a final presentation on a study topic of our choice," he says. "I focused on the first 90 days in management looking at how a manager should approach that time in order to make an impact and get the results that you need.

"You only have to look at the facts regarding how long managers last. That period is crucial and how you approach that can ultimately decide whether you're successful or not." Issues such as media relationships and managing upwards are now vital considerations.

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"I spoke to several very high profile managers when I was doing my study and most of them spoke about the importance of working well with the media," he adds. "It's a big factor. They can play an important part in getting your message across.

"It's also noticeable that more clubs are looking to that continental-style structure now because there are just so many facets to the job. This allows the coach to coach and have someone else who is that link to the owner. It's a big job to manage an entire football club."

Perhaps the big question is whether or not it's a job that will ever come his way. While discussing the challenges facing young British players in his role as an Under-21 boss, Nicholson makes the point that "talent needs opportunity" but it's equally true of coaches.

Enjoying life at Cardiff, for now all that he can do is keep up the good work. "If you do that you have to hope that the opportunities will arise," he says. There's literally nobody better qualified to find out whether that's true than Kevin Nicholson.