RICKY SBRAGIA knows very well the transition from being a much-admired player to coaching guru – and he reckons Richard Cresswell is perfect material to follow suit.

Former York City favourite Sbragia made the switch some 26 years ago, hanging up his boots at Bootham Crescent before joining the backroom staff as youth team coach – and guiding the Minstermen’s juniors to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club’s history in 1993.

He has since been a key member of the boot-rooms at Bolton Wanderers and the mighty Manchester United, and, having joined Roy Keane’s staff at Sunderland, he also briefly took the reins at the Stadium of Light following the Irishman’s departure in 2009, and famously kept the Black Cats in the Premier League.

He remains entrenched in the game, currently as national youth team coach for his native Scotland – travelling north from his Copmanthorpe home on a regular basis.

Describing football as a “fantastic industry to be in”, he was delighted to find out – via a chat with The Press – that Cresswell was planning to walk a similar coaching path having officially retired as a City player on Thursday.

“That’s great,” he said. “That should be his next step – to go into coaching and maybe to take on a youth team and learn from there.

“It’s a good idea that’s he’s going to go around a few clubs and pick up pointers. He’s very open to learning things.

“Looking back to my career, I was in football from 1972 to 1987 as a player. It was a natural progession for me to go into coaching. I was at York City as a coach up to 1994 and I was learning every day. I am still learning now. It’s a great opportunity to go to a club and develop young players.”

Sbragia actually learned of the 36-year-old’s impending retirement in a recent chat with Jonathan Greening – like Cresswell a City product who went on to play Premier League football. Still very much in love with football, the Scot believes Cresswell can likewise forge a distinguished second career in the game.

“Richard is in a great industry and people like him, with all his experience, will be ideal to pass on knowledge and give things back to the game,” he said.

“Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time and you need to be given time, but it’s definitely a good step.”

Like Cresswell, Sbragia was much adored by the City faithful. A no-nonsense centre-back in a 15-year playing career, his most successful time came in his five years at Bootham Crescent, which included the record-breaking 1983/84 title success in the old Fourth Division.

That career had begun as an apprentice at Birmingham and included stints at Morton, Walsall and Blackpool.

Cresswell, meanwhile, has played for more luminary clubs in Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Leeds, Stoke and Sheffield United, with several seasons in the top tier. All of that was sandwiched by his two spells at York, and Sbragia believes he has much to thank the Minstermen for – not least a certain scout by the name of Barry Appleby.

“He came to York at 13 or 14 through Barry Appleby, who also produced the likes of Jonathan Greening and Curtis Woodhouse and brought Nick Culkin to the club. Barry looked after them and they have a lot to thank him for.”

That said, Sbragia says Cresswell was fully deserving of his own plaudits. “In my view he has been an excellent servant to football in general,” he said.

“He’s a good person, with a good family and has been a good footballer.

“For me he’s had a really good career. As a young player he always worked hard and he was always willing to learn – that’s why he’s been successful.”

The Scot also reckons Cresswell’s footballing path has been a laudable one.

“He came to a smaller club when he probably had good offers elsewhere and he’s a fine example of a player who goes to a smaller club and works his way through,” added Sbragia.

“He’s been a good servant to every club he’s been at and I doubt you’ll hear a word said against him anywhere.”

 

• ON-LOAN right-back Luke O’Neill has won The Press Player of the Month award for November, writes Dave Flett.

O’Neill finished one point ahead of Josh Carson and Keith Lowe and becomes the fourth different York City player to be honoured this season.

The previous winners have been Lanre Oyebanjo (August), Ryan Brobbel (September) and Carson (October).

O’Neill took the November prize after receiving a point as our third-highest rated performer during last weekend’s 0-0 home draw with Rochdale.

The other Press points from that game went to our man-of-the-match David McGurk (three) and second-highest rated player Lowe (two).

McGurk and Lowe also shared the two Player of the Month bonus points after receiving an equal number of man-of-the-match votes against Rochdale from visitors to our website and the @daveflettpress Twitter account.

The Press Player of the Year latest standings: Carson 17 points, O’Neill 13, Fletcher 12, McGurk 12, Brobbel 11, Montrose 9, Oyebanjo 9, Jarvis 8, Parslow 8, Smith 7, Lowe 6, Bowman 5, Chambers 5, Clay 4, Ingham 4, Pope 2, Puri 2, Whitehouse 2, Davies 1, Kettings 1.

The Press Player of the Month for November final standings: O’Neill 9, Carson 8, Lowe 8, Fletcher 7, McGurk 7, Bowman 6, Pope 4, Jarvis 2, Montrose 2, Parslow 2, Kettings 1.

Goals: Jarvis 8, Fletcher 7, Bowman 4, Brobbel 3, Carson 3, McGurk 1, Montrose 1, O’Neill 1.

Assists: O’Neill 5, Bowman 3, Brobbel 3, Carson 3, Clay 2, Fletcher 2, Jarvis 2, Smith 2, Cresswell 1, Fyfield 1, Ingham 1, McGurk 1, Montrose 1, Oyebanjo 1.

Bad boys: Montrose six yellow cards; Whitehouse both five yellows; Smith four yellows; Bowman two red, one yellow; Oyebanjo three yellows; Cresswell one red, one yellow; Carson, Fyfield, Jarvis, O’Neill all two yellows; Chambers, Clay, Coulson, Davies, Lowe, McGurk, Parslow, Platt all one yellow.

• YORK City’s club shop will be open for extended times during the run-up to Christmas.

The hours for the next fortnight are: Monday 10.30am-2.30pm; Tuesday noon-7pm; Wednesday 10.30am-2.30pm; Thursday noon-7pm; Friday 10.30am-2.30pm and Saturday 11am-2pm (or until kick-off on December 21).

For anybody wanting to make last-minute Christmas purchases the club shop will also be open from 11am to 2pm on Sunday, December 22.