The newest member of the Somerset backroom staff reckons the club's drive for improvement will pay dividends.
Ayr United's new sports scientist believes his appointment is further proof of the club's aim to make the big time. Ben Watkiss is two months into the Somerset Park role having left behind his Midlands roots.
And Watkiss believes his job is one that most Scottish lower league clubs will be embracing before very long. He told the Ayrshire Post: "At any level of football, I think the sports science role is now important. But you could argue even more so at this level when the difference between winning and losing a game can be a difference in physicality. In essence, we're now in the setup as just another coach, in the same way as you get attacking or goalkeeping coaches.
He said: "In the past, football was maybe a world where coaches were taken from ex-pros so they'd be into their forties by the time they got properly involved in that side of things. The game is evolving in that way and you see a lot of people now going to university to do the kind of courses that I did.
He explained: "The job description was really interesting to me because it was clear I'd have the freedom to put my own stamp on it and make the role my own. You can go to clubs who are just happy surviving or going through the motions each year - but that's not motivating. But from speaking to Graeme Mathie and the gaffer here, it was clear the level of ambition on show.
"But I always say the biggest thing from my perspective is buy-in from the players. You can write the most in-depth training plan for players but if they don't believe in it, you'll not get that buy-in. To some lads, it's totally new. The likes of Sean McGinty was at Man United as a youngster and would have had all of this stuff, but we have some others who've come from the lower leagues of the game for whom this might be new.
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