Rees Greenwood sat down with Foundation of Light scholars as the former Sunderland AFC man took part in the second instalment of the ‘Changing Room Chat’ series.
Rees graduated from SAFC’s academy after joining at just seven-years-old and made his Premier League against Watford in 2016.
Following a football career that spanned several countries and levels of the pyramid, Rees retired from playing in his 20s and turned his attention to coaching.
The former Black Cat shared his insight with scholars on topics such as managing relationships with teammates and staff, what it takes to graduate from the academy to become a senior professional, and the importance of having a back-up plan and preparing for life after football.
On the highlights of his football career, Rees answered: “Playing in the Premier League, playing for England [Under 20s].
“The England one was a big one. Like when you stand there singing the national anthem, you get goosebumps. It's like no feeling you can really explain.”
Rees admitted that he never really thought about life after football despite having opportunities to gain coaching qualifications while in the academy, but warned others not to do the same.
“When you’re there, you do your coaching badges and refereeing courses, there’s always stuff for you to go and do. But to be honest, I didn’t,” he confessed.
“I wish I did now, looking back. Because when I stopped playing, I got a bit lost and didn’t know what to do Then I just started coaching and ever since I’ve loved it, but I wish I’d done it earlier.”
Foundation of Light are excited to introduce a new partnership with Northern Premier League club Consett AFC, creating a clear pathway for male football scholarship players.
The pioneering academy, based at the football club’s Belle View Stadium, aims to remove long-standing barriers to education and high-performance coaching.
Foundation of Light, the official charity of Sunderland AFC, has made significant savings on energy costs thanks to a new partnership with Sunderland-based energy broker, Utilink Consulting.