Kevin O'Connor is bringing the thoughts of one of football's best brains – that of Jose Mourinho – to the coaching team at Brentford.
O'Connor has been able to tap into the Chelsea boss's expertise thanks to a group of ex-Blues players on the UEFA B license coaching course he is currently attending.
Paulo Ferreira, Joe Cole and Henrique Hilario, who between them notched up more than 400 games for the Stamford Bridge side, are all taking their badges alongside the Brentford veteran.
O'Connor said: “The Chelsea boys have been giving us advice on what Mourinho would do, and you just sit back, listen and take it all in.
“It's like you're learning twice as much when they start talking too, and John Terry even turned up last week too, so there's some top footballing brains you can tap into.
“There's also been a few old Brentford faces, like Alan Bennett, who it was good to see, and a few female footballers like Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey and Faye White – they're the swots who sit at the front of the class!”
O'Connor will undergo a final assessment next month, and once he has the UEFA B badge under his belt he plans to go straight onto the A one.
In the meantime, having passed the 500-game mark for Brentford last season, he remains on the playing staff but has only made one appearance this season.
However, he has taken to his new coaching role at the club with relish and is laying the foundations for the next phase of his career.
He added: “It is going really well. Mark Warburton and David Weir have been great, showing me how it's done and taking me under their wing.
“I was a jack of all trades as a player, so I have been coaching in all departments really rather than specialising in any one position.”
Brentford had no game at the weekend due to the international break but return to Championship action at Wigan on Saturday.
