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FOOTBALL

ELVIS PLOTTING DUGOUT MOVE

Steven Pressley: Looking to the future

Sunday October 12,2008

Steven Pressley is plotting for life as a manager during his long hours alone in Denmark.

The former Rangers, Celtic and Hearts defender is currently on a short-term deal with FC Randers, but the 35-year-old is spending his spare time looking to the future.

“I want to keep playing and I feel I’ve been getting back to my best,” he said.

“That’s the priority and it could be I even stay abroad after this deal with Randers runs out just before Christmas.

“I would listen to any offer, at home or abroad, after that although I might look to take my family with me next time if the contract was right.

“In the meantime, though, I’m missing the family who have stayed in Scotland so in my spare time in Denmark I’m poring over DVDs and reading everything I can about how the top managers operate.

It’s interesting to see the different style of play out here compared to Britain

Steven Pressley

“I also sit in cafes in the afternoons with my laptop working on all my thoughts about the game and writing down the different drills and training exercises.

“I’m a sponge for information and I just want to be ready when the time comes to be a coach or manager.”

Pressley has a foot in both playing and coaching camps already. While he enjoys life with Randers he doubles up as a coach to the international team under George Burley.

He said: “I’m enjoying working with the lads but ideally I want to keep playing for a while yet. And it’s great to be back playing regularly, I’m enjoying the football in Denmark and the standard is good.

“It’s interesting to see the different style of play out here compared to Britain.

“It’s been quite easy to settle in to life in Denmark because most people speak English and Randers as a club is very well run.”

Pressley is fulfilling something of a dream in Denmark because although he enjoyed a long and glittering career in Britain he has always hankered after a spell abroad.

And he revealed he almost headed to Holland early on in his time as a player.

“When I left Dundee United I had the chance to go to Utrecht, but I ended up going to Hearts and I have no regrets,” he said. “But I have always been interested in playing on the continent and after Celtic I just felt I wanted to try something different.”

But with the Danish club having signed a Brazilian central defender on a pre-contract he is unlikely to stay beyond Christmas.

“I’ll be home for the festivities and then we’ll see what happens,” he said.

“But for the moment it’s great here and although Aalborg surprised even people in Denmark when they drew with Celtic in the Champions League you could see it is a decent standard even if I expect Gordon Strachan’s side to win in Aalborg when the time comes.”