Experienced English tactician Stephen Constantine has revealed his desire to return to manage in England after working wonders in Cyprus.
Nea Salamina boss keen to work Midas touch back home
Experienced English tactician Stephen Constantine has revealed his desire to return to manage in England after working wonders in Cyprus.
The 49-year-old has transformed the fortunes of Nea Salamina, helping guide the club back to the First Division despite being one of the pre-season favourites for the drop.
Constantine, who has coached India, Nepal and Malawi, has spent the majority of his coaching career abroad, although he did have a spell as Millwall's first-team coach during the 2005-06 campaign.
Salamina have not looked out of place in Cyprus' top flight this season and they recently saw off Apoel Nicosia, who have been turning heads in the UEFA Champions League.
Constantine keeps up to date with the ins and outs of domestic football in England and he feels the experience he has garnered abroad gives him an advantage over other candidates.
League Two side Northampton are currently looking for a new man at the helm and the club are believed to be of interest for Constantine.
Opportunity
"I'd really like the opportunity to manage in England one day," he told
skysports.com.
"I've had a spell at Millwall as a first-team coach. The only time I've not been the boss was my time at Millwall. I've managed everywhere else but back home.
"I've done my time in the trenches as it were. I'll keep working hard wherever I am and hopefully I get the opportunity to come back home and manage in England.
"I follow the football back home. I'm home every year. I'm back in January to refresh my pro licence. Being English I always keep an eye on results.
"I think coaching abroad gives you an advantage, not a disadvantage. It's a different way, a different style and a different philosophy. You learn so much more from being outside, different styles of play and mentality.
"I think it gives you a broader outlook. If you look at the leagues in England there are a lot of coaches coming from outside. It's become a global game. England is the best place to be in terms of facilities and the excitement and from a football point of view.
"Football is played everywhere now. I think some of the connections that I have abroad, in Asia and Africa, as well as Europe, can attract players on small money to come and play because it's England."
Methodology
Constantine is naturally proud of his work with Salamina and should he get a chance to work in England, he insists that working with what he has would be his priority over expensive wholesale changes.
"I like to play free-flowing football and attack," he continued. "It all depends on the players you have. You can't say you want to play attacking football when you don't have the tools to do that.
"You go into a club and the knee-jerk reaction for many managers when they go in is that they've got to change everything and bring in new players.
"I think you've got to evaluate the squad first and work with the players you have. Then you try and improve them. Try and get them to play how you want, assuming they can play you want or within the system that you want.
"Only after that do you start to find players for the system, not the other way around. I don't believe in mass wholesale changes anyway.
"Last season we were bottom of the second division in Cyprus. I was given that job and people said I'd made a huge mistake and we were going down and you're going to destroy your reputation.
"This was in October. I made four changes in the transfer window and we finished the season in first place. The boys that came in helped, but you work with the players you have and get your methodology across and how you want them to play. I've always worked with a tight budget."
Stephen also works closely with Ultimate Football Live, helping develop tactics for the multiplayer online game (MMO).
