Jon Worsnop enjoying hands-on role at York City

Worsnop, 34, has switched his attention from the first-team pitch to the training field after a crazy September, which ended with him winning The Press Player of the Month award before being dropped after new manager Martin Gray’s arrival at the club.

The former Bradford Park Avenue and Chester custodian had started that month in impressive fashion, but mistakes in consecutive matches during defeats at Harrogate and South Shield probably represented unfortunate timing during Gary Mills’ final two games as City boss, ahead of Gray’s swift appointment.

Luke Simpson was subsequently called up for Gray’s first game in charge – a 2-1 home win over Brackley – before Bailey Peacock-Farrell was signed on loan from Leeds United to pull on the number-one shirt for the last two matches.

On that pivotal period in his football career, Worsnop reasoned: “I was enjoying my football but, maybe, the mistake at South Shields was the end.

“With the one at Harrogate, their player was clear through and I had to do something but, at South Shields, I held my hands up and apologised to everybody, because I was trying to be a bit too clever. I was looking to play to (Adriano) Moke’s feet, when I should have just swung my left boot through it.

“If I had, I might still be playing – I don’t know – but I’m giving the new role a good go now. The lads seem to be enjoying it and I’m doing plenty of homework but, if I’m needed to go back between the sticks, I’m keeping myself fit and will put the gloves back on.

“Whatever my role, I’m happy to be in and around the lads, because being involved in football is what I live for. The gaffer says he sees something in me and I’m happy to go down this route, even though I wasn’t planning to just yet.

“I have friends who have made the switch that tell you to play for as long as you can, because you’re a long time retired, but the opportunity has come now and I want to grab it with both hands. Being the goalkeeper coach at a club like York City is not something you’re going to turn your nose up.

“The facilities here are fantastic. There’s everything you would want at a League One or Two club, never mind one in National League North.”

Along with Peacock-Farrell and Simpson, Worsnop is also now overseeing the development of youth-team shot-stopper Ryan Whitley who, in the past, has been involved in England junior training camps and gone on trial at Manchester City.

Both Peacock-Farrell and Whitley have landmark birthdays coming up – the former turns 21 tomorrow and the latter 18 on Monday – with Worsnop confident the pair will come of age and have strong futures in the game.

At 23, Simpson is hardly an elder statesman either and Worsnop confesses he is sometimes surprised to see the ex-Watford reserve in sixth-tier football.

On the trio’s qualities, Worsnop added: “Bailey isn’t at a club like Leeds for no reason. He has bags of ability and all the attributes needed.

“He’s 6ft 4in and, as well as being calm and collected, he’s got good distribution. He has a bright future in the game – there’s no doubt about that.

“He’s a great lad who has dropped to National League North, but his attitude has been fantastic and I can’t fault him. Simmo went in for a game and did really well.

“He has a great attitude as well and, when you see some of the saves he makes in training, you think ‘wow’. Sometimes, you wonder what he’s doing at this level, but he’s dead positive and has a good future ahead of him.

“He just needs game time, whether that’s at York or wherever. With Ryan, I knew about him before I came to York from going to the same gym as Richard Wright, who is goalkeeper-coach at Manchester City.

“He asked me to keep an eye on him, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s young, 6ft 4in and has got something.

“I think he’ll have a good career. We’ve just got to polish him a little bit.

“It would be really good to get him out on loan – maybe at an Evo-Stik League club – to get him some games with men, because that’s where you learn when you’re thrown into the deep end and he’s desperate to learn. He’s like a sponge, because he takes everything on board and I think these are exciting times on the keeper front.”

While Worsnop works with the senior keepers, Andy Collett will concentrate on overseeing those in the academy on week nights.

Outlining his new responsibilities, the former explained: “I’m planning sessions and I take the keepers for about half-an-hour before the full training session. We’ll have a basis for what we’re working on, whether that be handling, feet, crosses, distribution or kicking.

“The gaffer then takes them into his session and, sometimes afterwards, Bailey and Simmo will do a bit more with me. If the gaffer wants me to join in sessions, I will do too.

“On match-days, I give the keepers warm-ups and warm-downs and I’m also quite vocal, so I’ll put across anything I feel needs saying from the sidelines during matches, but I’m still finding my feet.

“I speak to the gaffer every day and, hopefully, he’ll see an improvement.”

Despite one of his first actions being the removal of Worsnop from the first-team fold, Gray’s early weeks at Bootham Crescent have also made a good impression on the Bradford-born journeyman, whose career has taken him to ten different clubs.

“Since he’s come in, there’s been a lot more professionalism around the club,” Worsnop said of the ex-Darlington boss. “We seem to have more of an identity and everybody knows what their jobs are.

“That kind of thing can gain you an extra six to nine points over a season by being organised. He’s keeping everything simple and the lads have a good understanding of what he wants and are buying into it.”

Elsewhere, Aidan Connolly heads The Press Player of the Month standings ahead of October’s final fixture tomorrow afternoon.

The 22-year-old attacker picked up a maximum of five points following last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Salford.

Connolly was our man of the match to collect three points and received the most votes in our Twitter poll for the same accolade to be rewarded with another two.

The other players recognised were Josh Law (two points) and Louis Almond (one) as our second and third-highest rated performers.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Law 13, Parkin 13, Newton 10, Worsnop 10, Almond 9, Whittle 9, Parslow 7, Bencherif 6, Heslop 6, Morgan-Smith 6, Connolly 5, Rankine 3, Ferguson 2, Moke 2, Smith 1.

The Press Player of the Month standings for October: Connolly 7, Parkin 5, Bencherif 3, Ferguson 3, Law 2, Almond 1, Morgan-Smith 1, Parslow 1.

Goals: Parkin 9, Newton 4, Heslop 3, Morgan-Smith 3, Almond 2, Rankine 2, Connolly 1, Felix 1, Ferguson 1, Law 1, Own Goal 1, Parslow 1.

Assists: Almond 7, Morgan-Smith 4, Parslow 4, Newton 3, Parkin 3, Whittle 2, Connolly 1, Felix 1, Heslop 1, Moke 1, Peacock-Farrell 1, Worsnop 1.

Bad boys: Heslop one red card, two yellow; Bencherif one red card, one yellow; Wharton, Worsnop both two yellow; Newton, Smith both one yellow.