Winterburn: Rovers role

If I can just help Blackburn defensively one per cent and improve players individually and give them some ideas that I learnt in my career, then hopefully it will be a benefit to them.

Nigel Winterburn.
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Nigel Winterburn has been named as the new defensive coach at Blackburn Rovers.

The former Arsenal left-back, who has been working occasionally as a pundit for Sky Sports News, is the latest addition to Paul Ince's backroom team.

Ince has wasted no time in bringing in the staff he wants as he embarks on his first top-flight management job.

Ray Mathias was swiftly appointed as assistant manager after working with Ince at MK Dons and Macclesfield, with Archie Knox brought in as first-team coach last week.

Now Winterburn, who enjoyed great success as part of the Arsenal rearguard under both George Graham and Arsene Wenger, has been added to the payroll.

Chairman John Williams told the club's official website: "Pulling together a new backroom team with the right balance of skills, experience and ideas across sports science, recruitment and coach is clearly important and we are nearly there now."

Passion

Winterburn, who will now travel with the team to Germany for their pre-season training camp, does not have any formal qualifications, but does not require any as his role is currently part-time.

He told Sky Sports News: "It's something I've been looking to do for the last couple of years, but it's very difficult to break into.

"I have a passion for defending and organisation and it's an idea I have been looking at and put forward to people over the last couple of years. I think it's just someone being brave enough to take that forward.

"There's not that many defensive coaches around, particularly in the Premier League, and I think it is something which can definitely help improve a team in the long-run.

"I've been in contact with the Football League, the Premier League and the League Managers' Association and you don't actually need any qualifications to work part-time.

One per cent

"I didn't want to go off and do my full badges, which would entail the forward and the midfield and was an all-round package. What I'm looking at was specifically the defensive side which I've done under George Graham and then Arsene Wenger.

"I was looking to see if there was an interest in people taking on a defensive coach, now I know there is I will probably go on and do my badges as well.

"If I can just help Blackburn defensively one per cent and improve players individually and give them some ideas that I learnt in my career, then hopefully it will be a benefit to them.

"It's a part-time role with them, I'll be used whenever they want to use me. I would think it'll be a couple of days a week, and then I'll have to analyse their performances when they play games and I'll report back to the manager."