Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou says he is ‘delighted’ to have kept former Hawkes Bay United player Chris Davies as his senior assistant.
Davies (38), who started coaching youth teams in New Zealand, has turned down the opportunity to join English Championship club Swansea City who wanted him to be their manager after the sacking of Michael Duff.
“I didn’t have a massive discussion with him,” Australian Postecoglou told football.london.
“Chris sort of decided that this is where he wants to be. Great for us.
“He has been a real key contributor to what we are doing and he’s part of what I think is a really exciting coaching group because they’re all sort of young guys who are really determined to make an impact. Great for me.
“Like I said before, you want the best people and if you have the best people they are always going to attract attention from others. It’s always better if they come to the decision themselves to stay with us than us sort of force the issue.
“Chris kind of decided this is the place for him and I’m delighted to have him on board.”
English-born Davies has built a successful career in roles with Swansea, where he previously worked as an analyst for manager Brendan Rodgers, Leicester City and Celtic.
This followed a three-year stint in New Zealand when, in his early 20s, he tried to resurrect a playing career disrupted by arthritis.
Davies played national league football for Hawkes Bay United and Team Wellington and was encouraged to take up coaching by Hawkes Bay United’s Jonathan Gould.
He spent two years coaching players aged 12-16 for Hawkes Bay United, and then a year as Team Wellington’s U-16 academy coach.
READ MORE: How three years in New Zealand helped launch coaching career of Spurs’ Chris Davies >>>>
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