Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has backed Luke Chambers and Cole Skuse to make the transition from playing to coaching, but insisted he is not actively trying to mentor the pair.
Chambers has openly discussed his desire to manage once his playing days are over while Skuse, after signing a new contract last week, revealed discussions are already underway regarding a coaching career at Ipswich when he finally hangs up his boots.
McCarthy believes both men would suit coaching roles and, while he is not acting as a mentor at this stage, believes the duo can learn from how he is leading the Blues.
“You would have to ask them, but I speak to them a lot and I think they appreciate how I appreciate their opinion and input of what they see in the dressing room McCarthy said.
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“I’m not actively trying to mentor them, I’m doing my job and the way I do it I think they appreciate.
“I have no doubt, like I did, that they will take some things from me, some things from somebody else and all the managers they’ve had. But if they can take from me how the training ground and the people are managed, and the spirit of the place then they will always have a chance.
“I’m sure he (Skuse) will (make a good coach) and I hope he’s here, because we have a lot of the ex-players here and I’m sure he would be someone who would be of great use to the club as a coach further down the line.”
While Chambers is a vocal leader, Skuse is the squad’s joker, with the midfielder’s sense or humour clearly making an impact on his boss.
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“Chambo’s a joker as well and Skusey, I describe him (Skuse) as the Exocet (a French missile) because when everything’s going on you just don’t know when, you don’t know when it’s going to hit,” McCarthy said. “But it does and when it lands, let me tell you, it sticks.
“He’s not as gregarious as Chambo but you know when he’s around and he comes out with his little quips.”
What sets the duo apart as potential coaches, in McCarthy’s opinion, is the way they interact with the club’s young players at their Playford Road training base.
“What they’re both good at is they are both very good with the youngsters at the club,” McCarthy said. “The way they interact with the youth team is great. I saw young Idris (El Mizouni, 17-year-old defender) having a bit of banter with Chambo yesterday, having a bit of a tussle, and I thought it was great to see.
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“They are both good examples to them. Both personality-wise and how they play because, since I’ve been here, they’ve both played 200 odd games and have limped off Tuesday, played Saturday and been off till Thursday then played again on Saturday. Great pros, the two of them.
“If young players like Tristan Nydam and Flynn Downes, Teddy Bishop and Andre Dozzell had been around and fit all the time this season, around those guys, it would have been a lot better for their development.”
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