Reading legend Kevin Doyle has tipped his former teammate Shane Long to take on a coaching role in youth football since retiring last year- even calling on the Football Association of Ireland to bring the former forward on board.
The pair of Republic of Ireland internationals moved to Reading as a duo-deal worth under £80,000 in 2005 and spearheaded the forward line in Berkshire for over five years.
Doyle top scored as a club reached the Premier League in 2006, while Long had to wait until 2011 before he picked up the accolade for number of goals scored.
Doyle- who retired back in 2017- ended his career in MLS with Vancouver, while Long spent almost a decade in the Premier League with Southampton before retiring with Reading during a second spell in 2022/23.
Now 35, the former West Brom and Hull City forward has taken a year out to spend time with family but is looking at his next steps.
Close friend Doyle, whose children attended a summer camp in which Long was a coach, has implored Long to head into coaching.
"In the summer I was away with the kids, and they went to a camp and Shane was one of the coaches," Doyle told RTE2 in Ireland. "He was fabulous and has a gift for coaching kids. He’s saying he wants to take a year out; I’m telling you for the FAI or anyone to have someone like him who has been there and done it- was in Ireland and came through the system playing GA, all the things that Irish kids do but go on and play in the Premier League. What experience to be able to pass on to kids- he would be fabulous.
"I saw him in action. He might be modest, but he was brilliant. You have to have a gift to work with kids and he was really good, so I hope he doesn’t throw it away and someone in the FAI or somewhere is watching. To come in and help out in Ireland would be fabulous."
Long, still assessing his next steps post-retirement, commented: "It [retirement] wasn’t forced on me through injury or anything, I had a year back at Reading where it all started. It didn’t really go to plan, but I loved every minute I had there. I got to 35 reasonably fit and healthy so it was time to call it a day.
"I always promised myself a year out of football to spend time with the kids and do a few bucket list things- skiing and getting my golf handicap down. It’s been a year now and time to think about the future and what my next step is. I know it won’t be in coaching so I’m trying my hand at media and seeing how that goes."
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