ANTHONY McGRATH says he would relish the opportunity of coaching Yorkshire at some point in the future.

The former county captain and one of only 24 players to have scored more than 14,000 first-class runs for the club is in the early stages of what he hopes to be a fruitful post-playing career in the game.

McGrath, 39-years-old, is working at Yorkshire on a non-contract basis as a batting consultant, and has spent time with players from the age of 13-16 through to the professional squad.

Having retired from playing at the end of 2012 due to a long-standing thumb injury, he has done some work in the media alongside gaining his coaching badges.

Jason Gillespie is currently doing a fine job as the White Rose coach, and McGrath was one of many delighted to see the Australian remain in post after being strongly linked with the England job in recent weeks.

“I’d like to coach Yorkshire one day, definitely,” he said, having travelled with the first and second team to matches on a regular basis during the early stages of the summer, including last week’s Championship draw at Somerset.

“But, even though I’ve had a lot of experience playing, I’d be naive to think that I can go straight into such a job on that basis. I haven’t had much experience as a coach, and I need to get that.

“Being with the first team helps. When you’re on this side, you do look at the game completely differently. You’re not just looking after your own game as a coach, and you’ve got to think outside the box a bit.

“I’d like to get more experience at different age-group levels and eventually become a head coach. I think when I came out of the game, I wanted to try other things and not go straight into coaching.

“A year out of the cricketing bubble helped. I did some media work and a media course, a few bits of corporate stuff as well with sponsors.

“But the more coaching I’ve done, I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s something I would like to go into. The problem is, there are only so many jobs about.

“Last year, I wasn’t in as much. I was just in doing a bit of mentoring, which involved lads who were out of the team or were going to be out of contract. It was helping them make the transition to being out of cricket.

“Now and again, I’d come in and do a bit of coaching. But we lost Richard Dawson to Gloucestershire before this season, leaving us a coach light. So my main role now is batting consultant.

“I’ve been with the younger sides during the winter, the pathways which starts from 13 to 16 and up to the Academy. Then, the pro squad, I’ve been floating between the firsts and seconds.

“The first four games of the season, I was with the seconds. The next two or three, I’m with the firsts, including Somerset last week.

“One thing that has hit me since I’ve come back into this environment is how they vary the training to replicate different scenarios, in the power play and at the end of the innings in one-day cricket, for example. That helps develop the players quicker.

“When I first started, you’d bat in the nets for 15 minutes, and that was it. You’re always thinking as a coach, and that’s why I have enjoyed it so much.”

And on Gillespie, he added: “Everyone who loves cricket in Yorkshire is glad that he’s staying, but it’s testament to how he’s started his coaching career that England came knocking.”