Kevin McNaughton has revealed his future ambitions to get into professional football management.
The now 37-year-old spent nine years at Cardiff City. He made 288 appearances for the Bluebirds between 2006 and 2015, reaching the finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup, and winning the Championship title in 2013.
After leaving Cardiff, McNaughton had a few sporadic spells in England Scotland, before landing himself the first-team coach role at Forfar Athletic in 2017.
Today, McNaughton is working as the U16 coach with Dundee FC. Speaking to the Daily Record, the Scot admitted his growing passion for coaching, and his future aims in the industry post-playing:
“It’s been brilliant. I want to get my badges and if an opening arises I’ll think about it," he explained.
“I’m still learning. When you’ve played you think you can go into coaching without a problem because you’ve got all the knowledge.
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“The reality is totally different. I’m still learning the trade. When I feel comfortable and I’ve got experience, I will maybe look further on but I have to get better."
In a 19-year playing career, McNaughton made over 500 first-team appearances and win four caps for Scotland.
“When I was a player I probably couldn’t see myself as a coach but I’ve got into it," he continued. "I love it now and it’s great to see a few young boys I've worked with kicking on.”
Dundee currently sit in 3rd-place of the Scottish Championship. They're 18-points behind runaway leaders Dundee United, and next season both could be facing off in the top-flight of Scottish Football.
For McNaughton though, this seems like the first step of his management/coaching career. He was a reliable player in his day, and his vast experience should bode well for him in his future career choices.
The verdict
At 37, McNaughton still has a long future ahead of him in football coaching. It's a role that could one day lead his first job as a manager, and who knows where it might lead from there?