Black History Month takes place every October, providing everyone with the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture.

This year, we're highlighting some of the best grassroots football stories among players, coaches and referees within West Riding football... 

Name: Carl Serrant
Current Club: United FC Dubai
Previous Clubs: Huddersfield Town, Newport County, Cardiff, Charlton Ath, QPR, Sheffield Utd, Crystal Palace, Leeds Utd, Farsley Celtic, Newcastle Utd, Oldham Ath

Tell us about how and why you got involved in football?  

My earliest memories are of me at about 3-4 years old, kicking a ball around with my older brother at the side of the pitch whilst my dad played Saturday & Sunday League football in Bradford, and I’ve been hooked ever since! I’ve played for many teams throughout the years and always loved playing & competing, challenging myself to improve & be the best I could be.

Having had to retire from professional football at the age of 25 years, I decided that I wanted to stay involved in the game, so I initially studied as a sports scientist and once I qualified, I worked for almost 20 years as a fitness coach with various professional teams. In recent years, looking for new challenges, I’ve concentrated more on the coaching side of the game, working as an assistant and 1st team coach.

What do you enjoy about coaching football? 

I enjoy working with players, helping them to develop and achieve their full potential. Also, from a team point of view, I enjoy solving problems, developing a style of play and working with a coaching staff to build a game plan to win matches.

What is your best memory of playing and coaching football? 

My best memory as a player would have to be walking out at St. James' Park to make my debut for Newcastle Utd against Liverpool, the atmosphere & noise from the crowd was incredible. As a coach, it would have to be winning the 2014 Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley with QPR against Derby County. The atmosphere was unbelievable, and it was an amazing experience to win a final at Wembley & gain promotion to the Premier League.

What do you want to achieve in coaching football? 

I’d want to keep improving & striving to be the best coach I can be. Also, I’d like to coach & work with the best players at the highest level possible, whether that be in England or abroad.

What are the biggest obstacles you have faced in playing and coaching football? 

The biggest obstacles or challenges I faced as a player were coping with setbacks, whether that be dealing with being dropped from the team, receiving criticism or coming back from major injuries. All of these types of situations not only required a huge amount of physical & emotional energy but also a lot of self-belief & confidence to enable me to bounce back.

As a coach at the senior level, you don’t always have that much time to develop players on the training pitch, so much of the time is focused on performance to win the next game. You must ensure that the players are fresh & ready for matches, so it is important to use other learning opportunities, such as video analysis.

Who’s had the biggest influence in your career and why? 

My Dad had a huge influence on me, particularly in my early development years. He was a constant support, present at almost all the matches I ever played in & always offering some kind of feedback, though sometimes he might have been a bit too critical!

Bill Urmson at Oldham Athletic was my first real professional coach who taught me the ABCs of professional football.

In more recent years, after retiring from playing, my good friend Dean Riddle, who is a vastly experienced Performance Director & Consultant, has been a constant support & mentor, helping to guide my career with sound advice & honest feedback.

What advice would you give to people wishing to get involved in playing and coaching football? 

I think in the modern world of social media it is very easy to get caught up in the glamour of the Premier League & Champions League, forgetting that only a tiny percentage of players have the opportunity to make it as a professional, let alone to play at this level. So, I always say, ‘Play football for enjoyment & that you should always try to play where you enjoy it the most’.

From a coaching point of view, I would suggest finding a good mentor to learn from or spending time observing good coaches, what sessions they put on, how they manage them and the players, their voice & mannerisms etc. Also, educate yourself & then most importantly, challenge yourself to find a way to coach a group of players & learn from any mistakes or successes.