Over five hundred professional appearances later, Academy of Football graduate Freddie Sears is back where it all began. Having completed his UEFA B licence at West Ham United, Sears has been taking his first steps in coaching, attending Chadwell Heath on Monday nights supporting the Academy U12s coaching team, all while playing part-time for Chatham Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
“I did a crash course for my UEFA B licence in 2023, and by chance, it was here at Chadwell Heath!” he recalled. “I hadn’t been back since I left in 2012. It was surreal being back in the building. Everyone’s made me so welcome. I spoke to some people on the course who were working at West Ham, and that’s how the opportunity came about to come back and do some coaching here. I’ve loved being in the building. Being back at the Club where I started has been fantastic.”
“The first day I came back for coaching, I saw Kevin Keen, one of my coaches here. Mark Phillipps too, I’ve known him all my life! Zav [Hines], who was in the scholarship year above me, and is now coaching the U18s. I saw Nobes (Mark Noble) and Anton [Ferdinand] too. It’s a really familiar club. When you come back, you feel like you’ve never been away.
“For me, this is just the start. This year is about experience on and off the pitch. I’ve been learning from some great people who have been in this environment, [U12s coaches] Ross and Louis. Just doing my qualifications here was surreal, never mind actually coaching the boys.”
Approaching the twilight of his playing career, 35-year-old Sears’ passion for coaching stemmed from getting involved with his son’s team. A father of three young boys, Sears decided to take a step back from full-time football after his second spell with Colchester United in 2023. Stints at Dagenham & Redbridge and Braintree Town, where he helped them secure promotion to the National League last season, would follow, before a move last summer to Kent outfit Chatham Town. Seventeen goals and counting in Step 3 this season for The Chats, ‘still life in the old boy’, he smiles.
“I come into Chadwell Heath one day a week for the time being, coaching the U12s. I then sometimes get involved with the U15s. The other day, me and Nobes trained with them. That was really cool, rolling back the years! It’s such a good environment, it’s like nothing’s changed!
“It got to the stage where full-time football was taking up too much of my time,” he explained. “Now, I’m coaching, I’ve got a young family, and am enjoying other stuff too. I’ve really enjoyed playing part-time, it’s been a good season personally with Chatham, 17 goals so far. Still life in the old boy! I’m still enjoying my football and as long as I do, I’ll keep playing.”
Part of the scholarship cohort which saw the likes of James Tomkins, Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines rise through the ranks, Sears joined the Academy at ten years old. Almost 25 years after being scouted by West Ham at a school game, it’s now Sears’ turn to bring through the next generation of young Irons. As he explains, a 'full circle' moment.
“One of the boys I coach, his grandad used to coach me at West Ham! I’ve got a picture of it. It’s quite mad to have a full circle moment like that. He coached me at U12s, and now I’m coaching his grandson at U12s. It’s a pinch yourself moment. Now I’m looking to give back. Some of the boys have come in and seen my picture in the gym. It’s great to come back and have this affiliation with this special football club. It brings back so many good memories.”
Starting off on a part-time basis assisting the younger age groups, Sears is inspired by the roles former players such as Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Kevin Keen and Zavon Hines continue to play in the Academy set-up, and hopes to one day follow in their footsteps.
“There’s a pathway there, there’s good people in good roles. Seeing former players from the Club be part of bringing through the next generation is something that inspires me. That’s what the Club is all about, the West Ham way, when you come to this place, it’s tough to leave!”
With two Academy Premier League debuts in the last two months, Sears, with perhaps the most memorable of West Ham debuts, scoring a Premier League winner against Blackburn Rovers back in March 2008, knows all too well the emotional rollercoaster Ollie Scarles and Lewis Orford must have gone through when they stepped onto the field against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace respectively.
“It’s a bit of a blur. My debut is what everyone will remember me for. Even today, people come up to me and say ‘I was there at your debut!’ One appearance for West Ham would’ve been great, but to score on your debut, and play over 50 times was brilliant.
“Having been there and done it, my advice to young players is staying grounded. It’s the most important thing in Academy football. Hard work gets you far. I’ve had loads of setbacks in my career and it’s about how you bounce back from them. A story which draws a lot of inspiration is Declan Rice; released at Chelsea, coming here. Probably wasn’t among the top performers at first and he’s ended up playing for England. Ben Johnson is another one that came through late and has ended up being an established Premier League player, so you never quite know.
“Ollie and Lew must be buzzing right now. It’s a great experience coming through a Club like this. It’s a massive Club. It’s the Academy of Football after all, so everyone wants to see more of our young lads in the first team!”
