Coach Ambusley - MoBay Utd star honing his craft on the sidelines

Close to the end of his first official stint on the sidelines as Rusea's assistant coach, Montego Bay United mainstay Dwayne Ambusley is now eager to build on his new profession.

It wasn't always Ambusley's ambition to venture into the coaching profession, however, the constant encouragement from his own coaches, who kept telling him that they felt he would make a good coach himself, played a big role in pushing him along his current path.

"I should have retired from (playing) this year, but Mobay is going through change, so management saw it feasible for me to continue. But I have been doing that type of job (coach) at Mobay. I am like a player/coach at Mobay," he told The Gleaner.

"I never really thought about being a coach but coaches who coached me always told me I should coach. The first person was the Brazilian, Neidor Santos, and notable people like (Donovan) Duckie, Theodore Whitmore, even the present one, Mr (Rod) Underwood.

"Every coach that comes to Mobay tells me that, so I started to look at it seriously ... and just decided to put everything into football," he said.

NO RUSH FOR BIG JOB

But the young coach is in no rush to land a big job or become a head coach as he plans to learn his craft diligently and has no intention of forsaking Rusea's or Montego Bay United.

"A person must learn his trade. Don't get ahead of your time ... on the playing field I learnt so much and was able to achieve because of that. Assistant or no assistant, I will stay humble and continue to work to the best of my ability.

"I am now in my 30s. Ten years from now, most of the veteran coaches will not be around and I will be able to get the job I crave. So I am not thinking that way right now. I am just working with Mr Reynolds to create a dynasty (at Rusea's) and I see no other school I would want to coach," added Ambusley.

The 37-year-old aspires to be a coach who can influence all aspects of his players' lives, and he is looking to have that impact with his alma mater, Rusea's.

"I am in it (game) to develop players. I don't want Rusea's players to just win a daCosta Cup title. We want players in the future in national teams, players getting contracts, players getting scholarships, and then I will think it's a job well done. So it's not about me; it's about people who I can impact in life," he said.

The holder of a Level Two coaching licences, Ambusley will try to obtain a C licence in Florida next year.