Wolves coach lends his expertise in China
Wolves’ influence in China continues to grow as the club’s lead youth coach has passed on his expertise in Fosun’s homeland.
James McPike, lead youth development coach at Wolves, has been helping the growth of talent in the country.
At the Jiangsu Suning Academy in Nanjing as part of a two-day course, McPike was joined by coaches from Manchester City, West Ham and Newcastle – the other teams competing in next month’s Premier League Asia Trophy over there – to share their knowledge with counterparts from all 16 Chinese Super League sides.
And he said: “We have had an opportunity to share what we’ve learned through our own experiences.
“This training is challenging them as coaches.
“It is checking what they’re doing, seeing if they can learn anything from us and implement it into their structure and programme to help produce better players.”
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi and Fosun owner Guo Guangchang are keen to unearth young Chinese talent.
They recently signed highly-rated youngster Hong Wan on a two-year contract.
The 18-year-old has gone straight into Rob Edwards’ under-23 set-up.
He was born in London but is of Chinese and Malaysian heritage.
Also, in Fosun’s recent annual accounts they said it was a key aim of the club’s strategy to attract more fans in China.
And at the club’s end of season awards, it was announced a Wolves megastore will be opening in Shanghai later this summer.
McPike insists visiting the country has been a privilege – from both a professional and personal point of view.
“This is a fantastic opportunity,” he added. “Not just from a football point of view, but from experiencing a different culture, a different lifestyle. It’s a great privilege.”
