WANE GRATEFUL FOR COACHING EXPERIENCE WITH U18S

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Former scholar benefits from holistic player care support

2025-12-31T10:11:46.619Z

WANE GRATEFUL FOR COACHING EXPERIENCE WITH U18S

Former scholar benefits from holistic player care support

2025-12-31T10:11:46.619Z

Former scholar benefits from holistic player care support

Burnley Football Club’s academy has a mantra of trying to develop its youngsters as people as well as players, and that doesn’t just stop when a player is released.

A fantastic example of that is the story of Lucas Wane who, having been let go at the end of his scholarship in 2024, is now thriving in a new coaching career.

The 20-year-old has set up his own business, LKW Coaching, and is learning from his old U18s coaches Tony Philliskirk and Matt Walsh as he looks to obtain his UEFA B License.

Looking back on his Clarets playing career, he said: “I joined when I was about nine or 10.

“After coming for an open trial day, I was offered an initial six-week trial and did well enough to be signed two weeks in.

“I kept getting contract after contract and got to the scholarship decision, which is one of the big ones, and I was buzzing to be offered one having been there for so long.

“I enjoyed my two years as a scholar – I lived with some really good lads and the coaching we had every day was brilliant.

“I had some really good moments over the course of the two seasons, including in the FA Youth Cup. Overall, it was a really good experience.”

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Every young footballer’s dream is to make it as a professional and for Preston-born Wane, that ambition wasn’t to be at Burnley.

“It was really tough,” he continued, looking back at the moment he was told he was going to be released.

“I’d done a lot of talking with people prior to that, including Tebbs (Jack Tebbutt - former Player Care Lead) who was a big help.

“Everything happens for a reason and I wasn’t really thinking about coaching at that point, it was all about trying to go and play somewhere else and continue my career.

“I’ve dropped into non-league at Padiham now and this is kind of my first full, proper season there. It’s going well.”

Players often transition into coaching when they retire from the game, using their experience to guide the younger generations.

The fact that Wane is doing so at such a young age himself is a slightly different situation, but it’s a new passion that he’s loving throwing himself into.

“I was in the back garden with my family once and obviously non-league football is only part time, so you need to have an income on the side,” he continued.

“I always wanted to stay in football, so I just thought ‘what if I start coaching’?

“I messaged a couple of people asking whether they’d like it, and from there I took some sessions with my cousins to get used to that one-to-one stuff and the little details. I then started posting on Instagram and it kind of kicked off from there, really.

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“80% of my sessions now are one to ones, in which we go into detail on little things and work on specific areas of people’s games. The other 20% is working with small groups of two, three or four players.

“It’s all ages and I have set slots, so on a Thursday I can be working with an eight-year-old girl who’s at Blackpool and then with a 15-year-old lad who’s in an academy.

“There’s definitely a variety there, which helps me.”

So, what exactly is it that he’s doing at Burnley now?

“I’m coming in once a week, working with the U18s alongside Tony and Matt.

“A lot of my stuff is one-to-one, so to be able to go into a high-level environment and ask questions about why something’s been done or set up in a certain way is great.

“During my scholarship I did the UEFA C badge and when I began coaching properly, I started studying for my B license.

“I’ve now done all my sessions for that and once I get my B license I’d love to keep coming in at Burnley and see where that takes me.

“I want to continue my business, too, and it would be great to work with some older academy lads.

“I worked with a couple of professionals in the off season and it was really good, but I understand that I’m still early in my coaching career and there are people who are better qualified than me.”