A hero around these parts, Terry Phelan has been out of the public eye for too long.
In truth, he remains out of the public eye, but allow us to divert your gaze towards India, where Terry has been appointed head coach of Kerala Blasters FC.
A recently founded but avidly supported club, Kerala's attract average attendances of around 45,000.
For the past year, Phelan has been the technical director of their grassroots programme. The club currently sit eighth and bottom of the Indian Super League, hence Terry's elevation.
The club CEO Viren D'Silva made a statement today announcing Terry as the new head coach.
We have been working with Terry during the last one year on the Kerala Blasters Football Schools initiative, and his contribution in this regard has been immense. He has interacted with the squad from the start of the season, and the players share a comfortable rapport with him. I think Terry will allow the players to express themselves in the attacking brand of football that the fans deserve. His technical prowess combined with his international experience will prove a valuable asset to the Kerala Blasters for the remainder of the season.
Interestingly, a cash-strapped David James acted as their first ever (player)-manager in 2014. They finished their first season in 4th place but James departed criticising the training facilities and the standard of the pitches.
