Hull FC’s new Head of Emerging Talent Michael Shenton has expressed his desire to use his knowledge and experiences in the sport to help create the next set of Super League stars, having joined up with the club’s exciting youth programme for 2022.
As announced yesterday, the long-serving Super League stalwart, who recently announced his retirement from playing after amassing over 350 career games, will join the club’s ever-expanding Centre of Excellence in the coming months, and explained that teaching the club’s youth players the club’s core values is critical to their development.
Working alongside Head of Youth Pathways, Matty Faulkner, the pair will oversee the new-look youth programme, with Shenton also set to coach the club’s reserves and academy teams next season.
Shenton was introduced to the Hull FC Academy squad and staff yesterday afternoon ahead of this official arrival later in the Autumn.
Speaking to hullfc.com in his first interview since joining the club, Shenton explained his excitement to move into coaching with the opportunity presented to him by the club.
“It’s a big change of scenery for me, but something I’m hugely excited for. The opportunity that has been offered to me at such a great club, to come in and work with some potential future stars, which is such an important job at any club, is one that I jumped at.
“We need to do a better job across the game at developing our young players and giving them a better chance at becoming professional players – I see myself as someone who can absolutely play a part in that, and I’m ready to go and get my teeth into working with these players over the coming months.
“I’ve always had an interest in staying in the game after I retire as a player. I’ve done my education in sport, and ultimately there aren’t many coaching jobs in Rugby League. So when I got offered this one, which has such a big impact on the careers of younger players, it was a no-brainer, and I’ll get a lot of satisfaction out of the role.”
On why he believes he is the right fit for the job with the Black & Whites, he added: “Rugby League is all I know – I’ve got a lot of experience and insight into what it takes to make it as a professional in the game.
“When I spoke to the management at Hull, they were excited at the detailed knowledge I can offer the young players to help take them to the next level, and prepare them for life in the first-team. I hope I can pass on some little areas of my own game.
“I’m fairly new to coaching, but the management at Hull are surrounding me with the right sort of people who have plenty of experience on some of the things I maybe won’t be so sure about.”
He added: “I always like to think I was professional throughout my career, and that is one of the main things I’ll be looking to pass on in my coaching, which in turn should allow the players the chance to buy into the core values of this club and help them along on their journey to take those next steps towards the first-team, before looking at individual games on the back of that.”
Although this will be Shenton’s first official role in a coaching capacity, the former England international regularly undertook coaching responsibilities under former head coach Daryl Powell at Castleford Tigers over the last 18 months.
“As the group has evolved at Castleford over the last few years, my role as captain changed a little bit, which allowed me to take on some coaching responsibilities; Daryl was really keen for myself and a few of the other senior boys to lead video sessions, as well as leading drills and the Captain’s Run.
“I did some bits of work on game plans, particularly with our Challenge Cup semi-final and final, giving people the details they need to help them best prepare for the opposition they were preparing to face.
“You’ve got to know how much information to give those lads; sometimes you can overload them with too much information, so picking out the key parts is crucial and something I’m really focused on.”
With a new-look coaching setup for the Hull FC Centre of Excellence, as well as new and updated facilities, Shenton hailed the vision by the club to help promote their youth into the first-team squad, as well as expressing his excitement to link up with Brett Hodsgon when working with the first-team squad.
“The likes of Wigan and St Helens have really set the standard in recent years when it comes to producing young talented players, and that in itself breeds success for the first-team; Adam Pearson and James Clark are really passionate about creating a environment like that at Hull too, and they’ve done a superb job at putting those building blocks in place with the new-look Centre of Excellence and the investment in new facilities.
“I’ve worked under some superb coaches and learned a lot from them throughout my career, and I’m excited to do so once again with Brett Hodgson, with my role dipping into the first-team working with the rising star players. I’m excited to be involved in those sessions, whether it be having an input and just observing, or taking some of the drills.”
Shenton also looked ahead to working with fellow former international centre Kirk Yeaman, who will become the Hull FC Academy assistant coach later in the Autumn.
“There’s a mutual respect there between me and Yeamo; he’s one of the toughest centres I ever played against, both in defence and attack. His attitude and professional nature is of a really high standard, and that shows with the success he had in his career with his international caps and the honours he won.
“He’s a superb role model to have around the place, and he has Hull FC at his heart – which is exactly what we need in terms of a role model which those young players can look at and learn from.”
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