Mark Sale regards himself as ‘privileged’ to be working in professional football on a daily basis – and he’s keen to make his enthusiasm rub off on Derby County’s players.
Sale, who is 45, joined Derby’s coaching staff last week in the role of first team coach following Gary Rowett’s arrival as the club’s new manager.
Rowett, in his first interview as the Rams’ boss, labelled Sale as a ‘fantastic link’ between the players and himself.
It’s something he regards a crucial element on his backroom staff, having had him by his side during his time in charge of Burton Albion and Birmingham City.
Burton-on-Trent born Sale, who played over 300 games for several clubs as a striker in the lower echelons of English football in the 1990s and 2000s, says he enjoys the prospect of having a close and positive working relationship with the playing squad.
He told
RamsTV:
“Personally, I love being around people and I believe that I am a good communicator.
“I feel I can talk to the players and they can trust me.
“There are some things that they will say to me and I won’t go back to Gary with; some topics are personal and private.”He added:
“I am involved in football and I will come in and enjoy myself each day.
“We are so privileged to work in football and to be here at Derby County. While I am here I will be nice and bright, show my enthusiasm and hopefully that will rub off on the players.” Sale and Rowett first came into contact as youngsters at Cambridge United in 1991 for a brief period.
Their paths didn’t cross again until they had retired from the professional game.
Sale took up the role of youth team coach at Burton Albion in 2008, with Rowett arriving a few years later as assistant manager to Paul Peschisolido – the former Rams forward.
When Rowett took over as manager himself in 2012, he promoted Sale to his first-team staff before ensuring that he, and both Kevin Summerfield and Kevin Poole, followed him when he took over as Birmingham City’s manager in 2014.
Sale clearly has a huge amount of admiration for Rowett, for recognising his qualities and showing faith in him to play a key role on his backroom team.
He said:
“You’re going back to the early 1990s for when myself and Gary first met.
“I had been released by Stoke City and ended up at Cambridge United. Gary was coming to the end of his apprenticeship, while I was a few years older and a young professional.
“We played together in a few pre-season games but that was pretty much it and we didn’t see each other until 20-odd years later at Burton Albion.
“I was running the youth team there and Gary came in as assistant manager.
“I used to help out with the first-team while the lads in the youth team were at college. When Gary got the job, I was promoted to first-team coach and I am glad that he saw something in me.”Recalling his days as a youth team coach, he said:
“The youth team role was a real grounding and I would recommend it to any coach starting out.
“I remember driving a mini bus of around 20 lads down to Plymouth on a Wednesday night – it toughens you up as a coach.”Discussing the working relationship between Rowett, Summerfield, Poole and himself, Sale feels the quartet’s individual skillsets provide a strong working package.
They have worked together for five years in total and he explained:
“Since being promoted to the first-team at Burton by Gary I have ended up staying with him for the duration of his time there and then moved on to Birmingham with him, along with Kevin Summerfield and Kevin Poole.
“I’m learning off them all the time and we have our own roles and skills within the coaching team.
“They might seem to be small little things but as a package we work well together.”
Tweets by @ dcfcofficial
