Kids need to fall in love with football
Having spent his formative years as a footballer with English giants Manchester United before becoming a coach, Hasney Aljofree learnt early on that winning is not everything.
And he has brought that lesson to his role as the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) head of coach education and development.
The 46-year-old was appointed last August on a two-year contract and has spent the past four months developing and updating the content of the FAS’ coaching courses.
From six to about 16, he was part of the Manchester United academy and worked under 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles and the renowned Brian Kidd. He was a coach there from 2012 to 2020 and helped develop England internationals Marcus Rashford, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood, as well as Scotland’s Scott McTominay.
Creating an environment where players can thrive, enjoy the game and develop a lifelong connection to the sport is key for development, said Aljofree.
He told The Straits Times in an interview at FAS’ Jalan Besar headquarters: “Young people need to fall in love with the game. So there’s got to be an emphasis on fun, enjoyment, creativity, (allowance to make) lots of mistakes, for them to learn and want to stay in and come back.
“We’ve got to be very mindful that we’ve got a lot of young people in Singapore who love the game, and we want to keep them in the game and not lose them.”
The Briton also noted that a focus on winning at all costs can overshadow development. During his four months here, he said he has seen instances at youth games where not all the kids get a chance to play as the coach is focused on getting players to take the ball forward and score.
Stressing that there is no shortage of passion among local coaches, Aljofree added that coaching “needs to be relevant”, explaining that work with five- to seven-year-olds should focus on enjoyment and basic skills, while with teenagers, it should balance technical and tactical development.
“The idea of turning up for a weekend where it’s all about winning a game... that’s where it’s dangerous,” he said.
“So what I’m trying to do... is trying to impact the courses and the information around long-term player development. So if you’re responsible for 15 to 20 young people, you’ve got to make sure the 15 to 20 young people had a great time and they want to come back, not just the seven or eight (who get to play).”
On top of the over 50 coaching courses planned across different levels – from grassroots to A Licence – in 2025, some of the changes Aljofree is looking at include more small-sided games and more football festivals, where the emphasis is on participation, not victories.
He noted that this was also the approach at United, where they introduced different formats like five-a-side matches to keep youth players engaged.
Aljofree, who played for Bolton Wanderers during the 1997-98 English Premier League season, holds a Uefa A Licence and the Football Association’s Advanced Youth Award.
His football roots may be in Britain, but he takes a lot of pride in his Singaporean heritage. Born to a Singaporean father and British mother, Aljofree – who grew up in Manchester – has fond memories of playing football on the basketball courts at Seletar Hills, where his late father’s family lived.
And he is hoping to find success in his new home.
He said: “Yes, there are some personal ambitions but you want to go and coach these young people to be better people and better players. For me, it’s all about sharing the experience and pushing the football forward here in Singapore and hopefully, we can make some great changes.”
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