According to BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is thinking of appointing former West Ham United midfielder Peter James Butler as the development coach of the BFF Elite Academy.
“We’ve been talking with him [Butler] about a number of topics over the past few days. He would start working as the development coach next month if we approve,” Salahuddin said to The Daily Star on Thursday.
Butler, who is presently connected to an African club according to BFF, has participated in more than 450 domestic football games in England. The 56-year-old coach has previously coached the national teams from Liberia and Botswana, among other clubs.
“There isn’t a professional football academy in the nation, despite the abundance of academies elsewhere. Our successful Elite Academy is now operating without a coach. Thus, the BFF CEO continued, “We are appointing a Coach with English Premier League Playing Experience and Coaching Different Teams.”
“If he joins us, he will work with the next batch of players to strengthen the national team’s pipeline as we don’t inherit players rather than those who are coming up because of league regulation for the last 12 years,” Salahuddin stated. He also expressed his desire to create a supportive “family” among coaches from various industries who would support one another.
Salahuddin continued, “We will create a group of coaches who will sit all together with the technical director, women’s coach, and men’s coach,” with a suggestion that Paul Smalley, the former technical director, might be reappointed to the position and take on the role of head coach for the women’s national football team.