Louie Silvani

Why did you choose Solent?

I could see the University had a positive reputation as the leader in football-related studies, and when I visited the city and saw how close everything was together, I knew I’d enjoy living here.

How did you find the facilities?

Test Park Sports Ground was a great place for our practical education, and the new sports complex went up in my time at Solent, which was great to witness and be able to access near the end of my studies.

Can you talk about any opportunities you had to get practical experience while studying at Solent?

While at Solent, I worked for the Chelsea Foundation - coaching at schools and in the pre-academy set up. In my third year, my course leader recommended me to the FA, and I worked as Performance Analyst at the England U15s camps – an experience into the elite game that will stay with me forever.

 

Tell us a little about your career so far

Since gaining my UEFA B licence while studying at Solent, I joined Leyton Orient Football Club as U13s coach on a part-time basis in 2018. Since then, I have been U15s-U16s lead on a part-time basis and went full-time in 2021 as Foundation Phase Lead Coach, overseeing the U9s-U12s age groups, which is where I am today.

What is a typical working day?

I design individual learning plans (ILPs) for the academy players, plan sessions and then coach them in the evenings! As well as all the admin that comes with that! I am currently developing a training tour abroad for the academy players, so they can experience playing abroad, in a competition format, against clubs from different countries.

What did you take away from your time at Solent University?

First and foremost, true friendships that will last a lifetime! I also value the knowledge gained through all the course subjects. The technical detail on my coaching modules also remains with me to this day! Studying at Solent has also helped me to think more analytically and critically, which helps me in my day-to-day work, finding solutions to problems.

What are your future plans?

I am currently completing my FA Advanced Youth Award qualification. From there, I’ll look to take my UEFA A Licence, while trying to further enhance the Foundation Phase programme at Leyton Orient.