Quinton Fortune: South African hopes England U20 role can boost coaching aims

Quinton Fortune's most recent club job was at English Championship side Reading, who he left in February

Former South Africa and Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune says he hopes his coaching staff role with England's Under-20 side can prove a springboard to bigger jobs in future.

Having started in August, Fortune's latest role as part of the England elite coach programme (EECP) comes after stints as first-team coach at Championship side Reading and with Manchester United and Cardiff City's Under-23 sides.

The 45-year-old, who was on the books at Old Trafford between 1999 and 2006, sees his new job as a stepping stone towards bigger things in the future.

"I still have ambitions of coaching at a big club. This job provides me with another way of thinking - seeing how the coaches work with younger players," he told BBC Sport Africa.

"I'm preparing myself for the time when a bigger job comes along. It doesn't have to be in England, anywhere in the world will be fine.

"For the moment I'm helping these young players improve and, from a personal point of view, getting more experience as a coach."

The EECP is a joint initiative of the Football Association and Professional Footballer's Association that was introduced in 2017 to create opportunities for coaches from Black and Asian communities to work with the England national teams to gain international coaching experience.

The role includes working with the coaching staff of the England U20 side that will be playing at the World Cup in Indonesia next May.

Fortune, who had been without a job since leaving Reading in February, admitted he was keen to get back into coaching and jumped at the opportunity when it arose.

He was part of the coaching team led by former Liverpool academy coach Ian Foster, that helped the England U20s win all three games - against Morocco, Australia and Chile - at a tournament in Spain in September.

"In addition to working with the players when we have camps, part of my job is to watch players that are in the squad or on the fringes when they are playing for their clubs," Fortune added.

"I also give as much input as I can to the young players using the experience I've gained as a player that has been to two World Cups, a few Africa Cup of Nations and, of course, playing for Manchester United."

Fortune among Bafana spreading coaching wings

Fortune represented South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals

Fortune, who has a Uefa Pro Licence, the highest coaching qualification in Europe, is one of several South Africans, and indeed former Bafana Bafana players, who are currently coaching overseas.

Back in August, Benni McCarthy joined Manchester United's coaching staff while former midfielder Steven Pienaar is assistant coach of Dutch giants Ajax's Under-18 team.

Last week, Fadlu Davids, who was assistant to German Josef Zinnbauer at Orlando Pirates two seasons ago before being promoted to joint-head coach last season, reunited with Zinnbauer at Russian Premier League side Lokomotiv Moscow.

At the same time, Africa's most decorated coach, Pitso Mosimane, joined three-time Saudi Arabian champions Al Ahli, as they seek a swift return to the top flight after being relegated last season.

Other South Africans coaching overseas include former Bafana defender Bradley Carnell who is with St Louis SC, an American club that will be competing in Major Soccer League in 2023, and former midfielder Masilo Modubi, who has been head coach of Belgian third-tier side K.ESK Leopoldsburg since 2020.

South Africa's men have not appeared at the World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010, while the side also missed out on the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, but Fortune hopes the experiences of coaches across the globe can eventually help the national team.

"It's great that we have so many coaches working overseas - hopefully they will get the chance to give something back to South African football in future," said Fortune.

"I hope they get the opportunity to work with the national team at any level. Surely it should benefit our national teams to use the experience of these former players."

A decade ago, the 47-time capped international told the BBC that he had the ambition to manage Bafana Bafana and help his nation become the first African side to win the World Cup.

Fortune, who played at the World Cup finals in 1998 and 2002, has reiterated his desire to take charge of the 1996 African champions in the future.

"Personally, if there's an opportunity to help the national team I would be keen but it would have to be under the right circumstances," he insists.

"We have great talent in South Africa that can compete at international level given the right development, training and opportunities."

Fortune's professional career took him to Spanish clubs Real Mallorca and Atletico Madrid before joining Manchester United in 1999, winning a Premier League title in 2003.

Stints with Bolton Wanderers, Italian club Brescia and Belgian side Tubize followed before ending his playing days at Doncaster Rovers in 2010.