The ex-Leyton Orient forward discusses his role at the PFA and coaching at Wealdstone and Chesham United
After supporting Errol McKellar and Martin Ling’s ‘Big Match, Big Cause’ event on Sunday, Scott McGleish is keen for more people to know about the services on offer from the Professional Footballers’ Association.
The former Leyton Orient forward juggles his non-league career alongside a role as a Delegate Liaison Executive at the PFA.
McGleish has been in the job for a number of years and wants current players to know the services available to them.
Having supported two charities - Prostate Cancer UK and Hertfordshire Mind Network – at Brisbane Road last weekend, the 44-year-old is eager for footballers in the modern era to know about the quantity of help available to them.
“I work for the PFA and I have done that for four or five years now and I go into all the professional clubs and talk to players and try to get them on courses and we try to deal with matters like Martin’s – mental health,” said McGleish.
“We are trying to let people know the PFA have their own welfare team, so phone us up and it is all private.
“No one will know about it other than the person and the counsellor and we have counsellors all over the country waiting to help people with issues and concerns.
“Hopefully more will start phoning up and using it and obviously we have Martin’s charity Hertfordshire Mind Network, so people can phone them up and use them if they need to, but we just need people talking about their concerns.”
As mentioned, McGleish spends four days a week at the PFA alongside his playing role at Chesham United.
The experienced striker, who had four spells at the O’s, is player-coach at the Southern League South Division and helped them finish eighth last season.
McGleish ended up in goal on a couple of occasions for Chesham during the 2017/18 campaign, but is more focused on coaching now.
He added: “At the moment I am still down as player-assistant at Chesham and they want me to stay, but we have to discuss it.
“The playing side I am not too worried about, but if I do play I have got to train, so that’s the only problem.
“Over the last three or four seasons I have been playing without training and it takes its toll.
“As much as I trained every day for 18 years, the brain is getting me through at the moment because the legs are not as sharp.
“I am 44 now, so playing isn’t the main issue for me it is about getting into the coaching side of things more and seeing what opportunities are out there.”
After numerous spells with Orient, a job at Brisbane Road would be ‘beautiful’ for McGleish, but he isn’t desperate to be a manager.
Following three seasons at Wealdstone under Gordon Bartlett, the one-time Stones player-assistant is happy to remain as a coach for the time being at least.
“A job back at Leyton Orient would be fantastic and beautiful because it is a home from home,” said McGleish.
“I had three years at Wealdstone as player-assistant and every season we got better and better.
“We finished eighth in our last campaign there and I got sacked at the start of the season which has just finished and went to Chesham and we finished eighth.
“I am learning my trade as a coach. I would love to be a manager in non-league, but at the same time it is not a burning desire of mine. As long as I am coaching and still in football I will be happy.”
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