Andy Reid is taking inspiration from American Football as he forges a career in coaching.
The former Republic of Ireland midfielder - capped 29 times - has been Irish Under-18s boss since last year.
And the Gridiron fan is willing to look outside his usual circle for inspiration.
But it’s not his namesake Andy Reid, who led the Kansas City Chiefs to Superbowl glory in February, that he looks up to.
“I really like the tactical side of the NFL and the top coach in that would be Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots,” said Reid.
“I’ve watched documentaries and read books about him and I love listening to him talk about the game. He’s someone who I would take inspiration from.
“When you hear players speak about him they always seem so certain of what is expected of them when they go out onto the pitch.
“All the good coaches I worked under you always knew exactly what they wanted from you when you went out to play.
“That really comes across when people speak about Bill Belchick, they’re prepared mentally and physically.
“He oversees the whole football operation of New England Patriots - that’s really admirable. It’s very important to take learning from different sports.”
Reid - in a Q&A with the FAI website - also revealed that Maradona is the one player he would have liked to coach.
“Since the Maradona film came out last year, I’ve watched it about seven or eight times,” he said.
“My eight-year-old asks me all the time who my favourite footballer is and I always say Maradona – he can’t believe it’s not Messi or Ronaldo.
“Tactically he was a genius and understood the game, his technique, his dribbling, his finishing was fantastic. To have coached him would have been a pleasure.”
