Pompey captain prepares for manager role as he goes back to school with Chelsea, Sunderland & Sheff Wed stars

Portsmouth captain Marlon Pack has taken his first steps into preparing for life away from the football pitch.

The 32-year-old was named captain this summer by John Mousinho, and his leadership qualities are obvious to see whether he's at Fratton Park, an away stadium or on the training ground.

Mousinho hailed Pack for his performance against Peterborough United, and admitted he is 'almost a coach on the pitch' given how he talks younger players through the games and keeps them motivated.

There's a good reason why Mousinho views him as a coach, and that is because over the last week, Pack has been in South Wales studying for his coaching badges. The international period brought a pause to Pompey's campaign, but whilst some players used it as down time, the Portsmouth-born midfielder was going back to school, and studying his his UEFA A Licence with the Football Association of Wales.

He has been signed up to the FAW's A Licence course, and that will run for the next 12-months. The reward for Pack at the end of it, is that he would be allowed to manage youth teams up to 18, reserve teams, and men's professional second-tier clubs, which in his case would be the Championship.

A post published on the FAW's Coach Education account said: "Great to welcome our new @UEFA A Licence cohort over the weekend. Thanks to @UniSouthWales for hosting & the @FAWPathway player for supporting our practical delivery."

It included a few photos of several of Pack's former teammates including former Bristol City star Lee Tomlin, as well as his ex-Cardiff City pals Sean Morrison and Will Vaulks. Former Sunderland and Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones, Argentine goalkeeper Willy Caballero and Iceland captain Aron Gunnarsson are also amongst those studying with Pack.

The FAW’s coaching courses are one of the most popular on the continent, and several high-profile names have graduated. Current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did his coaching badges in Wales, as well as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Roberto Martinez, and even former Pompey midfielder Tim Sherwood.

Fear not about Pack’s contributon to Pompey, as the courses are designed to work around a player and coaches schedule. Physical meet-ups usually take place over the international period, which is what happened last week.