Why Mike Phelan has swapped Old Trafford for Trafford Park

The former Norwich City player and coach has swapped the pressures and intensity of the professional game for helping at grassroots level with his coaching company 'Mike Phelan Coaching'. 

That desire brought him back to Norfolk for the first time in years earlier this week, hosting an event in association with the Norfolk FA, Findel and Davies Sports at Wroxham FC geared to helping pass his expertise to the next generation of coaches. 

From coaching Cristiano Ronaldo and the stars at Old Trafford - Phelan has explained why his attentions have moved towards coach education rather than resuming his career at the highest level. 

"It's different. My aim as a company is to be involved in the grassroots and amateur level. I've done everything that I possibly can in the professional game - I love it to bits and it's still part of me. 

"The grassroots is starting to grow and I didn't realise until I'd left Manchester United the last time how big it is because you live in that bubble," Phelan said. 

"Then you realise that a club is just a club, but now I see a club as a multitude of teams - there are lots of players, mums and dads, potential coaches that want to get on the ladder. 

"It's both education and me coming along not to teach people how to coach but hopefully just reinforcing what they're doing. I know how difficult grassroots is with the teams, organisation and working, it's difficult. 

"For me, it's a challenge from being a coach who has won the Champions League to now being at Wroxham." 

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect for Phelan is the ability to work with aspiring coaches and some talented young footballers. 

"My whole career has been about challenge and taking them on. I'm a firm believer that if you don't try something, then you never know what you can achieve or whether you like it. 

"The challenge for me is to come to these places and even the kids you're coaching, every age group, girls, boys - it's a challenge to know what level they are and can we have some fun with it. 

Mike Phelan left Manchester United back in 2022 after working with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. (Image: PA Images)

"For that one hour that we're out on the pitch or coaching, it's a different voice, and it's amazing, especially the intensity that you get out of it and the enjoyment that they take out of it. 

"When you talk and reflect with the coaches and the mums and dads afterwards, most of the time they are enthused about how you can generate that interest and how difficult it is for them. 

"Just by being there and part of something, it reinforces their view that it's good to be involved with the game."

This new venture has taken Phelan out of the limelight and constant pressures of coaching teams geared towards challenging for Premier League and European titles and handed him a freedom. 

Phelan has been a personality who has constantly sought challenge throughout his working life and explained why that ability to coach without pressure has been much welcomed after years at the top. 

"That's the beauty of it. I have an idea in my head as to what I want to do but I don't know what the quality is before I turn up, or even how many I have," he said. 

"We all know that sometimes they have the whole squad, but they can also have four or five. What do you do then and how do you arrange that one?

"It's just me coming along and putting some meat on the bones for them. Even at this level, I make mistakes and they see that it's okay and it's part of it. We're only human. I try to do something and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. 

"Ultimately, from the beginning to the end of that session, they enjoy it and they want to do it again. It's building that relationship with them. I love it. I love the honesty of the kids, the parents and the coaches. We have a great night. 

Mike Phelan spent two separate spells as a coach at Norwich City. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

"We can sit down have a nice drink afterwards and talk about whatever it is that we want to talk about." 

The upside of Phelan's coaching company is that it's taken him back to places with a great fondness to him. 

Prior to chatting to the Pink Un, Phelan was on a video call with some prospective clients in America. The interest in what he has to offer has gone global. Even then, the chance to return to Norfolk was one he didn't want to let pass him by. 

"It's taken two or three years to build, but it's brought me back here, which is good," Phelan said. 

"We did a little session in Manchester for some of the Norfolk coaches six months ago and then the invite came to do an evening session here and bring our little bit of coaching to this area again. 

"It was an opportunity not to miss."