Welcome to Jobs4Football Meets, where we explore the journeys, philosophies, and experiences of football’s most promising professionals shaping the future of the game. In this special feature, we sit down with Lewis Crane, an accomplished youth development coach and talent identifier with a proven track record of success across various levels of the sport.

Join us as we delve into Lewis’ coaching philosophies, his strategies for youth development, and the key influences that have shaped his career. We’ll also explore his ambitions for the future, including his desire to work internationally and advance into senior-level coaching. Stay tuned for valuable insights and inspiring stories.

1. You achieved an unbeaten season with the U18s Division 1 League Winners in 2023. What coaching philosophies contributed to this remarkable success?

I have a people first approach and treating players as people first can help you understand them better and show that you care about them and because we treat them as people first and knew about the players we could then use that for motivation. Having high standards not only for my myself but for the players I work with also is a key component to my coaching philosophy.

Honesty and respect are absolutely massive for me. I want players to be honest with not only me but with each other as well. Respect each other as teammates and as people. I also have a number of sayings that are really important to me: ‘the minimum requirement is maximum effort’ and ‘legs, hearts and minds’.

In terms of my overall coaching style I’m pretty adaptable, I can be more intense at times but I can also be relaxed and make jokes, albeit very bad ones, to help the mood/ atmosphere depending on how the players feel. Everything mentioned above was a key factor in us achieving this season and without each one of the above components, I don’t think we would go on to accomplish this season.

2. Throughout your time at Wallsend Boys Club, you’ve promoted 13 U23s players to the senior squad and 7 U18s players to the U23s team. What’s your approach to identifying and developing young talent?

When we were looking at talent, we identified key traits that we wanted every player to possess. We weren’t just looking at a players on the pitch ability but their traits off the pitch as well. Attitude, body language, willingness to learn, how they interacted with their teammates.

We wanted players who were good people and who we could work with very easily. I believe the off the pitch traits have the same weight, if not more, than the on the pitch traits. I do believe this was one of the main reasons behind this success and seeing the players move into the U23s was a great moment.

3. Your work with U6s and U7s led to 5 out of 6 players securing spots in Newcastle’s Pre Academy. How do you adapt your coaching methods for such young players while preparing them for elite opportunities?

When working at that age group, you have to keep everything simple, in terms of the language you use, your demonstrations and the actual practices themselves. Fun is at centre of everything at that age as if it’s not fun nobody will want to do it including yourself.

Working at an age group like the foundation phase really helped me as a coach to break things down and simplify things. It made me more well rounded as a coach and also helps my understanding of coaching more.

4. You’ve been mentored by notable figures like Terry Mitchell and Lloyd Miller. How have these relationships shaped your coaching philosophy?

Working with Lloyd and Terry very early on in my career was a great experience. Watching how they dealt with adversity in sessions, how they set the sessions up, the detail in which they worked in for not only session design but also their coaching points. You couldn’t help but learn from them.

I used to pick their brains endlessly asking what their opinions were or why they were doing certain things. I learnt so much from both of them and the impact they had on my own philosophy now was significant. I’m forever grateful for what they done for me and my career.

5. At Newark FC, you achieved historic winning records with both U15 Girls and U13 Boys teams. What strategies did you implement to create this success?

I implemented very simple concepts that the players could understand. It helped massively, as we had a mix of experience levels in the team and being able to bring everyone together under a set of principles that everyone could understand really helped in the early stages. We also had players who were new to the team, so finding a way to integrate them and make them feel welcome was paramount in the success of the teams in the end.

We did a lot of bonding in training with our practices or warm ups and made players work together to achieve a common goal or objective. I honestly think in the end the spirit the team had to be there for each other plus playing under simple principles helped us a lot and in the end the players’ decision making and ability shone through.

I also communicated with parents very early on, frequently and honestly, to ensure that everyone was on the same path. When I left the parents got me some very nice rewards, which is apparently a rarity in America, I was surprised but also very happy to know I had an impact on not only the players but parents as well.

6. As Head Coach of Little Strikers, you grew the program to record numbers in just 8 weeks. What makes your approach to coaching 3-5 year olds so effective?

I try to make sure fun is at the centre of everything we do, for players that age, it’s was their first experience playing football. We focused on ball mastery but incorporated simple language and session design that allowed them to understand what the practice was. We also thought about calling the practices things like the animal game(which involved me making some very questionable impressions) or red light, green light.

Communication with the parents was key at that age group. I was clear and honest every week about pathways, development and time frames. I believe the parents really appreciated that and at the end of my time in America they were asking me to stay, which I took as a huge compliment.

7. Your experience includes working with children with disabilities and mental health barriers. How has this influenced your inclusive coaching approach?

I see coaching from an entirely different perspective when in these sessions. I have to adapt my approach to the participants and it can be very difficult at first. My thoughts behind the session design was that it had to be something that everyone can do and also my communication had to be clear and concise to explain the practices.

It improved me as a coach so much as issues I dealt with in these sessions I had never experienced at other sessions and I was fortunate to work with some excellent coaches at these sessions.

8. As a Talent ID Scout, you’ve had a 10 out of 12 success rate in progressing players to competitive level. What key attributes do you look for in young players?

If we look from a general overview standpoint. We look at players who have the on the pitch ability but also important human traits such as respect, kindness, willingness to learn, humility. We firmly believe that these are important traits not only in football but in life as well and we want to help the players improve their life skills and get ready for the general challenges in life.

We believe that the talent and attitude look after each other and come together to form some very talented players but most importantly some very talented people.

9. Having worked with both the Newcastle United Foundation and Wallsend Boys Club, how has this dual experience enhanced your coaching capabilities?

Working for both these clubs has been fantastic. I have been exposed to some situations that I never thought I would be however these experiences have made me progress in my career and ultimately improve as a coach. It’s also made me understand football from a business/ industry perspective more.

I have had the support of people at these clubs to allow me to go and try new ideas, make mistakes but then learn from them and correct them the next time. I wouldn’t have gotten some of the opportunities that I have had in my career so far if it wasn’t for the learning and support that these clubs have given me.

Both clubs have shaped my coaching philosophy and being able to learn from so many different coaches has helped me tremendously in the early stages of my career it’s also helped me to become a better person and have better life skills myself.

10. With your UEFA C License and track record in youth development, what do you see as the next step in your coaching career?

I would love to work abroad again in the near future, in somewhere like Asia or the Middle East but I’m open to all opportunities. Secondly, I would also like to achieve my UEFA ‘B’ license as it will help me improve and open up more doors and opportunities.

I’m also extremely eager to move into the senior game and have recently began to put together a game model. I have already had some opportunities to join senior sides, which I’m currently considering, and look forward to exploring these opportunities in more detail. I’m exciting for what the future holds and hopefully 2025 can be a successful year for me.

As we conclude this insightful conversation with Lewis Crane, it’s clear that his people-first philosophy, dedication to holistic player development, and adaptability have been the foundation of his success. From guiding young players to elite opportunities to fostering environments built on respect, honesty, and shared purpose, Lewis exemplifies the impact a thoughtful and committed coach can have on both individual growth and team achievement. With ambitions to expand his career globally and step into senior-level coaching, his journey is only just beginning.

We look forward to following his continued success and witnessing how his passion and vision for the game will shape the next generation of football talent.