Whitstable Town manager Jamie Coyle announced his retirement from playing after their FA Vase victory – but he’s still got a World Cup to win.
Coyle may have knocked the player-manager role on the head at club level, but next week he’ll be pulling on the England shirt to try and retain the Seniors World Cup that he’s helped win for the past two years, captaining them to 2024 success.
When it comes to retirement, veterans’ football doesn’t count, and Coyle will be buzzing to be back out on the field representing his country in Thailand. He flies out next week.
Speaking after Whitstable’s FA Vase win, he said: “It’s the third year in a row that I’m going and it’ll be a hat-trick of wins if we retain it this year. I’ve just got to try and get my legs ready now!”
Coyle played the whole match at Wembley, enduring over two hours of football on the hottest day of the year so far, as his team clinched the FA Vase trophy with a 2-1 win over AFC Whyteleafe.
Playing in 20-degree heat is nothing compared to what he’s about to experience again.
“It’ll be more strenuous,” he said.
“It’s six games in nine or ten days out there, and it’s 45 degree humidity, so it’s a real test for us.
“But to represent your country, you can’t beat it, apart from [winning at Wembley].
“I’m hoping that my legs are recovered by then.”
Next season, Coyle will give up playing to concentrate 100% on managing Whitstable Town from the sidelines.
He said: “In terms of non-league football, that will be me (finished) and concentrating on coaching and managing because I’ve had to put a lot of pressure on my management team.
“There’s not been many successful player-managers in the years that I’ve known and grown up.
“For me now, I need to concentrate on the other side and try and develop our players and try and get us out of the (Southern Counties East) league.”
England won the Seniors World Cup last year for the seventh time in the 16 years of the competition, which is open to players over-40 with teams needing to include three over-50s during games.
They beat New Zealand 1-0 in the final of the 2024 tournament, a year after Coyle played in the final win over Iran.
