Ryan Walsh Appointed Head of Futsal

 

 

 

 

Speaking first about officially taking up the role, Ryan, smiling as he answered, said: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I think there's a been a lot of trust placed in me and it's a big push from the club to enter the futsal space more full-time and they're looking to grow the sport, grow its access within the club and at Maidenhead United. So, I think it's a great thing for futsal in general, and hopefully we see more clubs doing this in the future. But [I’m] very excited to get started and looking forward to seeing where I can take it.” 

 

Ryan boasts an impressive pedigree in Futsal, during his playing career he won six trophies across six different club teams along with earning six England caps in an impressive career. 

 

“I've played futsal since [I was] 17, 18. I sort of stumbled into the sport through when I was at university. I had to do some coaching experience and did it with a club that my brother was at called Escolla. Then, from there, I stayed on with them for a year looking at coaching and learning there. Then when they set up a senior team, they said that I had to trial for it, so I did that. We actually ended up winning the National League in our first season and I got to learn from great people there that came across from Spain, from Portugal, etc. So, I had a great experience and introduction to the sport from there. 

 

“I've even had some time playing out in Spain for a year and a half and again, that was an amazing experience – I learned so much. And then on the back of that, I've been involved with the national team from a playing perspective. I was on the cusp of being involved before the funding was pulled from the FA. But then I was involved in the national team last year when we had our Euro qualifiers through England Futsal and those were my six appearances, my six caps and that's it for me. I'm happy to stop there. 

 

“But coaching wise, I've been doing that for 10+ years now. I started with Escolla doing youth coaching there and carried on throughout my time doing new stuff. Then before I moved to Spain, I was involved with Helvecia Women's team with a friend of mine. We managed to win the National Futsal Series at the women's senior level. 

 

“Then when I went to Spain, I was doing a bit with the youth players there, the under 19s, just to practice my Spanish and also see if I could be effective in another language and learn from the coaches that were involved with them as well. When I came back, I took up a full-time role at Bloomsbury where I was Head Coach of the women's team. There again we managed to turn them from relegation into winning the National Futsal Series and the National Cup all within the space of one season. 

 

“I'm now an assistant coach with two England national teams within the FA Para Department. I work with the Women's Deaf team and the Men's Partially Sighted team. It's been an amazing experience to work with them, again furthering my coaching and my understanding of how to interact, deal with people based off their needs and what they want. And to be able to work for England at such a young age is an amazing thing for me, a great experience. They're helping me as well, pushing me along with my [coaching] badges and pushing me to be better.” 

Having spent the best part of a year at Maidenhead already, Ryan has embedded into the Futsal club and the club itself which played a huge part in his reason for joining in a greater capacity: “[It’s an] amazing group of people, great club, good values and I think that's instilled through the players throughout the club,” Walsh explained. 

 

“I think [Maidenhead United] have got a great base, a lot of support from the football club on that side as well. They are looking to intertwine that more and I think that can only go from strength to strength now with this role and as I say, as a base, I think the most important thing is great values, great people, and then we'll have great players off the back of that, whether that's on the futsal court or on the football pitch, across men's and women's and youth. And I think it's an exciting time to be involved and see where it goes.”