Paddy McLaughlin names current Irish League legend he would love to see in the dugout one day

Paddy McLaughlin says he would love to see Colin Coates prolong his Irish League career by coming involved with the coaching side of the game.

McLaughlin, who worked with Coates during his spell in charge at Cliftonviile, feels the big defender would have a lot to offer once he finally decides to call time on his playing career.

Coates is currently working himself back to fitness at Ballymena United after suffering a knee injury last season and McLaughlin said now is the time for him to start thinking about his next step after playing.

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"Coatsey has had an unbelievable career as a player, I'm sure he still has a couple of years to go," McLaughlin told BBC Sportsound. "Even with his next destination in football he should be thinking about coaching.

"He'll understand what it's like from a coaching and manager's point of view because at the minute from a player's perspective you only need to focus on yourself.

"As a manager you're focusing on 25 or 30 men every week. The likes of Colin Coates and others around the league, who've had brilliant careers I'm sure they will go into the game as coaches and managers and do it all again.

"It would be great to see the big man back on the pitch playing again, but it would be even better to see him in a dugout some day."

Coates has started out on the first steps in his coaching journey and revealed he does have ambitions to stay in the game once he does retire from playing.

"It's something I've been thinking about for the last number of years," said the former Crusaders man. "I keep managing to drag my playing career out for another year for the last four or five years.

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"I've completed the second part of my A Licence. I've just a bit of paperwork to finish off and my final assessment, so that will be that out of the way and all the sort of stuff you need to kind of get involved.

"I want to stay involved in the game, I love Irish League football and I love being involved in it. It's been a big part of my life, I've been at it now for 20-plus years, it would be difficult to just walk away.

"If the right opportunity and working with the right people comes up and in the right environment then it's something I'd be very keen on staying involved in the game."

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