Jon Brady has done the psychometric tests. “They discovered that I am a builder of things, of projects,” he tells Sky Sports. No wonder. His two jobs in the senior management amounted to a decade, 300 races in Brackley Town for 200 that were in charge of Northampton Town.
He won promotions with both clubs, but did so much more. In the course of an entertaining hour in his house in Northhamptonshire, he shares memories of those early days in the Southern Premier Division, when he was training in the mud in Brackley.
“You arrange pre-match meals, arrange the coach. You think, if we put a tea bar next to that tourniquet, that can help. You always look at ways to generate income. It was about finding ways to get our resources.”
In Northampton he was heavily involved in the recruitment work that gave them their lead. Those countless hours on Wyscout helped in finding value in the market. “I am now an encyclopedia on League One, League Two and Scotland,” he says laughing.
Among his colleagues, Brady is a rarity at the age of 50 – an experienced manager, more than halfway to that legendary 1000 game figure, who has never experienced the bag. Now he is considering his options, ready to discover what the next opportunity brings.
There are no regret of leaving the shoemakers in December, a movement that he described as “absolutely the right decision” that has been persuaded to stay the last summer. “I felt there was a ceiling,” he explains. “I wanted to leave it at the best possible place.”
That was achieved after he found the club in League Two and she had left behind in League One. They had to overcome the battle of being dramatically refused in 2022 when Bristol Rovers scored seven on the last day to achieve the last automatic place.
“We missed the scored goals, so I had to reformulate a lot to reform psychology, motivation, the emotions for the players.” Northampton achieved automatic promotion the following year and then stayed up, their best finish in 16 years.
He is proud that he “is always completed above budget” and believes that this owes enough to an eye for a player. In particular, identifying the characteristics that make a difference – and that overestimate those others. Pass voltage rates can be misleading, for example.
“I think clubs have certain markings to pass the ability, but that is not really in consideration for me, because if you give them the right photos, those statistics will improve. And moreover I want my midfielders to continue in the half turn.
“Marc Leonard is a good example. He came from Fulham and you could immediately see that he was a player, but he kept dropping too deep. He delayed our game, so we did a few sessions with him about playing and breaking.”
Brady now assesses Leonard, who won promotion with Birmingham last season, as one of the best players he has coached. “The way he came back afterwards was incredible. He was exceptional for me. He became much more aggressive in his play.”
So, examples of what he is looking for? “I have two non-negotiable for every position. With right backs I look at crossing certain types of delivery. And then, the recovery capacity. But it is about finding what a supplement is to what you have.”
Brady is easy to company, but if there is a bugbear for him, these are coaches who forget that it is their job to maximize the performance of the players. “I get frustrated by people who just go:” This is the way we play. ” It's the best thing to get out of your players. “
“In League One and League Two I don't think you can necessarily say:” I play 4-3-3. ” You can still have principles, but play for the characteristics of what you have.
He has just demonstrated this by setting up a master class in St George's Park for the League managers' Association. “I have done an interesting subject about peace of rest, looking at three different resting attacks, how they break, and then how you could try to destroy it.”
He explains: “An example was that the forest with Chris Wood kept high and the wing players break. Then there is Bournemouth, they break in numbers, but the middle behind no one has to mark. And with Liverpool you have Mohamed Salah high and wide.”
He describes it as “a game of chess” and while he also discusses his experience to do the LMA diploma in football management, it is clear that Brady does everything he can develop and improve. There is even a visit to a top Spanish club this summer.
He also follows a one -year leadership course in addition to a number of top coaches, one who has recorded calls with Sir Gareth Southgate and others. “Choosing their brains was really advantageous. You quickly realize that other coaches face similar challenges.”
Maybe. But Brady's story is certainly unique. Born and raised in Australia, he was noticed by a Brentford Scout while playing in a tournament in Denmark as a young teenager, to continue to Swansea before he finally settled at Hayes and later Rushden & Diamonds.
“I have not fulfilled my own potential. That drives me. I have always been very hungry to help players to be the best version of themselves. You want to make a difference.
By 23 he had his UEFA B license. It led to a successful business career while he was still playing. “I had my own company that supplied PE in schools in Northhamptoneshire and Milton Keynes. I did my badges and it just grew from there,” he says.
“We had more than 250 children between the centers every week. At the end of every term we would play against Pro clubs. Some continued with professional clubs, others became coaches. I did it 18 years from 2004 and still did it for two years in the Northhamptonbaan.
“I coached the Onder-8s on a Friday evening before we went and played where during the weekend. I was so dedicated to it. It was a large part of my life. I think the business background helped me in management.” This is also how his earth has as a coach.
“Many very good players cannot coach. They would not know how to tell a six -year -old child how to kick a ball. It was clear to me to break down those things. I taught children how to circumvent how to get low and work on their balance, when I was 23 years old.
“I did not realize that it would make the difference in senior management later, but the behavioral management that was needed with these children in the schools, just able to control a room, those skills were really important. It was an incredible basis.”
From what he calls 'the invasion game' of the conference North he taught him how to find 'ways to get results' to St George's Park and 'position-specific courses' that the theory side explored, his Brady's width of experiences impressive.
And given this breadth of experience, he will return quickly. He has rejected offers in England and abroad because they were not completely right, but he would like to return. And believes that he will succeed again. “Knowing the players at the level is the key,” he says.
“I keep contracts, try to give myself the lead that nobody else has. I just like to find those rough diamonds or players who have not completely affected their potential. I feel that I have a good eye for that, finding ways to speed up the development of a player.
“Because I am realistic. I may not go to a club that Kers can choose the best players. But then that is my strength, I think. I can build a team of it, identify the weaknesses in the opponent, find out what we have to do and bring people to believe it.”
The next project is waiting for.