Will Yung: EAFA has opened the door to so many opportunities

Yung congratulates a youngster for his performance - Image: Jake Kirkman

Writes: Evan Halliday

In July 2021 Will Yung joined the England Amputee Football Association as a Junior coach after first learning about the sport two years prior, since then he has overseen players' progress through each stage of their careers as well as developed his own abilities and knowledge as a coach.

“I heard about amputee football through my time at Everton in the Community, at the FA Disability Cup in 2019 and I was immediately interested in the sport,” Yung said.

“I like a new challenge and with amputee football being something new and exciting to me, I wanted to get involved and learn more about it while building an understanding of how to adapt sessions to make it more inclusive and effective."

During his time with EAFA, Will has been an important figure in the Junior set-up as soon as he arrived, aiding the young athletes on their journey to senior football alongside Harry Smith.

Will Young - Image: Jake Kirkman

“It’s my favourite part about my role, being there at the start of a junior’s career and seeing them develop over time as they progress and start to be involved in league fixtures or the national team,” said the Liverpudlian.

“I’ve had the chance to coach on many junior camps over the years and throughout that we have seen more and more come to attend and I’ve enjoyed seeing the game grow and the future of amputee football come through.”

Along his pathway at EAFA, Will has jumped at any opportunity that has come his way, from more coaching roles to travelling across Europe.

“Being with EAFA has opened the door to so many opportunities that I would have never thought I’d have the chance to do, in August I was able to travel to Poland and be part of the coaching staff at a European Amputee Football Federation junior camp which was a massive eye opener in how far the game has grown.

“Working with EAFA has helped me to learn about different roles in sport, which gave me the tools needed to support the England Transplants Football Club where I work as a coach mentor and help develop coaches who are new to disability football,” he said.

“I just want to say thank you to EAFA and Steve Johnson for getting me involved with amputee football!”