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Announcement: Steve Lilley Joins UDA UoG as Program Director

3/5/2025

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We are thrilled to welcome Steve Lilley as the new Program Director for UDA UoG!

Steve brings a wealth of experience in elite player and coach development, having worked extensively with the English Football Association as a coach educator. Holding a UEFA A License, he has spent his career shaping both players and coaches at the highest levels of the game.
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Extensive Experience in Player & Coach Development
Steve has dedicated his career to developing footballers and mentoring coaches, holding key leadership roles in both professional academies and national coaching organizations, including:
  •  Program Director at University Degrees Abroad (UDA)
  •  FA Talent Reporter for the Female Game (2021 – Present)
  •  FA Women’s High-Performance Centre Coach Developer (2022 – 2025)
  •  Director of e-CAN
  •  Head of Academy Coaching at Bristol City FC (2020 – 2022)
  •  FA County Coach Developer (2015 – 2020)

Through these roles, Steve has been instrumental in licensing and mentoring aspiring coaches, designing elite training programs, and supporting both men’s and women’s football development at the highest levels.

A Full-Time Commitment to Player Development
At UDA, Steve will be working full-time across the academy program, ensuring that every player has the tools, coaching, and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. His leadership will be instrumental in shaping individualized development pathways for both men’s and women’s players, helping them progress to the next level.

With an extensive professional network in the football world, Steve will create elite opportunities for student-athletes, connecting them with clubs, coaches, and organizations to maximize their career prospects. His expertise in player progression, talent identification, and high-performance coaching will be a major asset to the program.

Players & Coaches Steve Has Positively Impacted
Steve has played a key role in the development of numerous professional players and coaches, including:

Current & Former Professional Footballers:
  • Lloyd Kelly (Juventus FC)
  • Luke Berry (Charlton Athletic FC)
  • Dominic Dwyer (Oakland Roots FC)
  • Carlton Morris (Luton Town FC)
  • Shaun Pearson (Grimsby Town FC)
  • Zac Mills (Boston Utd FC)
  • Naomi Lazell (Manchester City WFC)
  • Lauren Hemp (Manchester City WFC, England International)

Coaches & Academy Directors:
  • Matt Gill (Former Southampton FC)
  • Tom Pell (Academy Manager, Charlton Athletic FC)
  • Matt Dye (Academy Manager, Wycombe Wanderers FC)
  • Dan Macnamara (Wolves WFC)
  • Lauren Smith (England Women U19)
  • Marie Hourihan (Stoke City WFC)
  • Natalie Haigh (Bristol City WFC)

Testimonials from Those Who Know Steve Best
“Steve introduced me to the principles of coaching early on in my career, and I still adhere to those principles today. He has acted as a sounding board throughout my coaching journey and is always on hand to offer guidance and support.”
— Tom Pell, Academy Manager at Charlton Athletic FC

“Steve is an excellent coach developer who strives to support coaches to be the best they can. I really valued the support from Steve whilst I was completing my FA Youth Award, and he helped me to specifically focus on stretching and challenging individuals within my delivery.”
— Sarah Lawler-Edwards, FA Talent Technical Coach

“Steve has had a massive influence on me as a person, player, and now a coach—I cannot recommend him enough, as his qualities as a coach developer and a human are outstanding.”
— Matt Dye, Academy Manager at Wycombe Wanderers FC

As Program Director, Steve Will Oversee: 
  • Player Development & Coaching Oversight – Ensuring the highest coaching standards and individualized development plans for every player.
  • Program Management & Recruitment – Creating clear pathways for student-athletes to progress both academically and athletically.
  • Elite Match & Competition Planning – Organizing competitive fixtures that challenge players and prepare them for the next level.
  • Student Support & Experience – Championing student welfare and enhancing their experience both on and off the pitch.

Steve’s commitment to player success, extensive football network, and expertise in football education make him a fantastic addition to the UDA team.

Please join us in welcoming Steve Lilley to UDA UoG! 
​
#WelcomeSteve #UDAUoG #ElitePlayerDevelopment #CoachingExcellence
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Roi Gil, Canada/Israel, UDA,Computer Science

6/23/2022

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​Roi Gil is originally from Israel, moved to Canada when he was 11 years old. He started playing football when he was five years, and ever since it was his dream to play professionally. His favourite player is Diego Forlan from Uruguay, and he is also a big fan of Kieran Tierney from Arsenal. Tierney plays left back position, just like Roi. While playing football matches and doing trainings, Roi is studying Computer Science course and successfully balancing the two.
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“I decided to study at the University of Gloucestershire because it gave me the opportunity to play football at a high level and study the degree that I wanted. This is the best way to combine my goals in football with my academic goals.”

“University of Gloucestershire is in partnership with the UDA Football Academy. I want to play professionally, that's my goal, my dream. And UDA allows us to play how other professional academies train and play. And the University of Gloucestershire also allows us to take our degree, so we can get the best of both worlds.”

“You can study any degree you want, you get to choose whatever you want. We play football, but academics is first. We can't miss class for training or for a game. It is all about balancing. When I was in high school, I've always had football and another thing or two more. It's become a habit. The main thing is learning time management and prioritizing. I want to make sure that I'm enjoying myself, but also do what needs to be done.”

“I go to class in the morning and then training in the afternoon and then get back home and do the homework. Or the other way around, where we have training in the morning and then class and then you go home and you either do a bit more training on your own or homework. This year we played matches mostly around once a week. But next year is going to be more matches because we should have more players coming in. It should be about at least twice a week for most weeks.
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Facilities
“We train at Oxstalls (Gloucester) at the Sports park, and I study at Park campus (Cheltenham). The sports facilities are very good. They gym is quite good, and the fields are also great. They have good turf fields, and the grass fields are pretty high quality as well compared to what I'm used to. I think even the universities facilities like the library, the classrooms and everything is quite good.  A lot of the classrooms are suited for small courses, and I really enjoy having a small amount of people in my course because then I get to know the lectures and module tutors, which helps my learning.”
​

Surprises
“As a Canadian, I thought the living expenses would be more. The food and shopping are a lot cheaper than I expected. I thought that I wouldn't eat out as much (laughs). But it wasn't very expensive.”

Favourite places in Cheltenham and Gloucester
“Town centres in both Cheltenham and Gloucester are nice. The Gloucester docks are quite nice. The cathedral is very nice to see. I've also been to Manchester and Liverpool. I hope to travel more during my second year.”
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Application process
“The application process was quite straightforward. I also really liked the fact that
the University responded very quickly to my application cause in Canada it’s different. You apply and then you hear back within the next six months.”

Course
“I study computer science, so my course is fairly small. You get to know the lectures and most of your classmates. You can help each other out when you're struggling with certain things. I only have 4 lectures a week, but they're 3 hour and it would be about an hour and a half of lectures and an hour and a half of practical. I found that there's a lot of hands-on stuff which helps me to learn what I'm interested in.”
“The modules are directly related to my degree because I know in Canada you have to take certain modules that might not necessarily be related to your degree. This is more focused on employment, it's teaching you what you'll use in the real world after you graduate.”

Future plans
“If I'm good enough to play professionally, I will. If I could even play semi-professionally and work, that's probably the goal. I would consider a masters, I might be interested in sports analytics.”

Advice to potential students coming from Canada
“Look at accommodation because I think that's quite important. Each accommodation would be different. Make sure that the accommodation has what you want. If you want to be very close to campus and meet a lot of people, it might be easier to live on campus. Or if you want a cheaper accommodation near the city, private housing might be the way to go. Really depends on your needs.”
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