THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has appointed senior national player, Vurlon Mills, as Technical Development Officer (TDO) assigned to the GFF-Scotiabank Academy Training Centre (ATC), the federation stated in a release yesterday.

According to the GFF, the appointment will see Mills as responsible for ensuring the national playing philosophy is instilled in the players of the Georgetown ATC.
Technical Director of the GFF, Ian Greenwood, said Mills’ appointment is part of the technical development strategy of the GFF, where the federation is engaging current and former national team players, which, according to the Englishman, “is a key component in our coach development and recruitment drive’.

Their understanding of regional and international football, combined with GFF’s technical department training, makes them ideal candidates to deliver at the nationwide Academy Training Centres.”

“Not all players have the ability to transition from player to educator but Vurlon certainly has those attributes. He has the temperament and enthusiasm to inspire a new generation of players from grassroots to senior football on the GFF player pathway. We feel he is a great addition to our ever-growing bank of licensed and qualified coaches,” Greenwood stressed.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Mills, an attacking midfield player on Guyana’s senior National Football team (Golden Jaguars), said he is happy to contribute to the development of the skills of the young players, noting, “It is an honour to serve as the Technical Development Officer assigned to the Georgetown GFF-Scotiabank ATC.”

“There are very talented players around and I believe with the right technical guidance, they will realise their potential. I have skills, which are transferable and can help them in their development and ultimate selection to the national squad. That makes me excited to serve, knowing that I’ll make a long-term difference to their life,” said Mills.

The ATCs are a pathway to national team selection where players learn the necessary skills and attributes by certified coaches. Sessions are conducted on a weekly basis in the nine regional member associations (RMA).