Jobs4Football meets Ebun Thomas
Ebun Thomas is a youth coach wise beyond his years discussing with me his journey into football and his aspirations moving forward.
Ebun embarked on his football journey from age 11 and he loved playing for his Sunday league side, when he reached 14 years of age his side didn’t have a goalkeeper coach so he took it upon himself to coach the keepers. Ebun fell in love with coaching and gained his level 1 Coaching badge when he was 16. “At 16 to 18 there wasn’t many football teams in London, so I started my own club. I wanted to progress and learn what coaching was, rather than a bunch of my mates turning up and the rest is history.”
Ebun certainly progressed in coaching and started to build his footballing repertoire rapidly, completing his FA Youth qualifications as well as his UEFA B license in a 5-year span; most recently he has completed his UEFA A license in 2021. Like all good coaches globally, Ebun is continuously expanding his knowledge outside of football, and this year will commence his studies as a Master of Sports Directorship.
With a vast and detailed history in football, from being involved with Charlton through their Community Football Scheme as a Coach from ‘05- ‘08 and Academy Coach from 2013-2018, Ebun progressively stepped up the hierarchy in roles, but it wasn’t until Barnet FC in 2018 when he was enlisted as the Foundation Phase Lead Coach where he was given a progressive role. “When I moved to Barnet, that was the first time I had worked in football full time and was responsible for about 40 – 60 kids. I found it different from a management point of view but I absolutely loved it, because that is where I learned the most in terms of organisation and I grew into the role quite quickly. Subsequently the children from the Academy have gone to category 1 Clubs such as Crystal Palace and Tottenham, the work that we did there was of the highest quality because the kids have progressed to bigger and better opportunities.”
Ebun has had to face the challenge of relocation due to the nature of Football. when moving down South for his time to study Business at University of Portsmouth in ‘07. “I threw myself into my work and got to know the local area. I would go on the open top buses and learn the history of the place I am in. I am easily adaptable to new surroundings now due to football taking me everywhere, I feel like I settle into an area quickly.”
Football wasn’t the first endeavour of Ebun’s, he ran and sold several companies in the past, which taught him how to communicate through business before he got into football. “I understand from a financial point of view that it has to work because of XYZ factor.” In September, Ebun will further his studies in September to equip himself with an understanding of the Sporting Director role. Ebun thinks outside the box, and understands the game from a different point of view. Ebun describes his intellect of the game as “relentless” and it certainly seems that way.
Initially I was intrigued as to why Ebun would take on the challenge of a Master’s Degree as he already seems so knowledgeable without the assistance of university. “Initially, it’s to help whatever club I got to; ultimately, I have aspirations of being a 1st team coach or a 1st team manager and through the course I would be able to speak the language of the decision makers. If I can merge the two, business and sporting context, I think I would be able to achieve greatness in the managerial role.
The knowledge and mentality of Ebun was astounding to hear, with the road he has laid in front of him I was intrigued if Ebun wanted to work for any club in particular, but he simply said, “no not really, I think if you start to limit yourself you miss out on opportunities that might present themselves.”
In conclusion, Ebun is a very driven individual who can lead a team of players on the pitch as well as executives in the boardroom. A true professional with the credentials to prove, it seems that coaching is idiomatic to his future pathway. “Experience isn’t age it’s the journey of the individual”, was one of the quotes Ebun lives by; and for his age I believe he possesses the experience of two lifetimes and will no doubt be a useful addition to any club.