Steve Holland (football)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Steve Holland


fullname = Steve Holland
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1970|4|30
cityofbirth = Derby
countryofbirth = United Kingdom
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname =
position =
currentclub = Crewe Alexandra (First Team Coach)
years = 1986–1987
1988–1989
clubs = Derby County
Bury
caps(goals) = 0 (0)
0 (0)
manageryears =
managerclubs =

Steve Holland (born 30 April 1970 in Derby, United Kingdom) is a football coach and is currently the First Team Coach of Crewe Alexandra, following Dario Gradi's decision to step down as manager in 2007.

Playing career

As a schoolboy, Holland progressed through the academy at Derby County until his late teens, when, after a bad injury, he was told that he would not be kept on. He had short stints playing professional football for Bury and semi-pro for Northwich Victoria but, aged 21 and after several unsuccessful trials at various clubs, Holland decided to go into coaching.

Coaching career

Holland was appointed as a youth coach at Crewe Alexandra in 1992 by Dario Gradi, who had coached Holland as a schoolboy at Derby County.

Holland slowly made his way through the coaching ranks at Crewe before becoming the club's Academy Director, looking after the club's successful academy. At the start of the 2006-2007 season, Gradi revealed that Holland would be involved more in the first team set-up for the season. By April 2007, it was largely accepted by Crewe Alexandra supporters that Holland would be the man to eventually replace Gradi, manager of the club since 1983, as manager. On April 20, 2007, it was announced by the football club that Gradi would be taking up a new role as Technical Director on 1 July 2007 while Holland would be promoted to the role of First-Team Coach, whilst keeping his job as Academy Director. Gradi revealed that Holland was the "right man" to eventually replace him and that the move was a "gradual transition". The move meant that Holland's role at the club was much nearer to being a manager rather than a coach.

Holland has also been credited by former Crewe Alexandra players, like Dean Ashton and Danny Murphy, as being the biggest influence on their career.

In 2006, he entered onto the UEFA Pro License Course and completed it in June 2007.

External links

* [http://www.crewealex.net Crewe Alexandra Official Site]