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NASL North Carolina FC

Ritchie Returns To RailHawks As Coach

April 1, 2010 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


CARY, N.C. (April 1, 2010) - Carolina RailHawks head coach Martin Rennie has rounded his coaching staff for the 2010 season with the addition of assistant coach Paul Ritchie to the bench.

Ritchie arrived in the U.S. from Scotland on Wednesday evening and was at training on Thursday morning at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Ritchie returns to the RailHawks one year after he finished his playing career with the club, a tenure that was curtailed by a serious knee injury. In his only appearance for the RailHawks, he came on as a substitute against Minnesota on April 26 and suffered a season-ending knee injury - which he played through - early in the second half. He remained with the team through early June, and he used that time to serve as a coach-in-training under Rennie while also working toward his UEFA 'A' coaching license.

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself last year as a player," Ritchie said. "It's a fantastic environment and a fantastic club. The facilities are great and it was an opportunity to work with Martin, who is highly respected in the game here. It's my first coaching job and it's something that I'm really looking forward to. I'm hoping to learn from Martin and help Martin in any way he requires. And I'm here to help the players and make this franchise the best in the NASL."

After gaining his release from Carolina, Ritchie returned to Scotland and completed his UEFA 'A' certification. He also acquired his Youth coaching license from the Scottish Football Association and went to work at the Manchester United Soccer Schools. In his capacity with Manchester United, Ritchie worked all over the world, training youth players of all ages in the Manchester United philosophy. He will bring that experience and knowledge to the Carolina RailHawks camps programs.

Richie spent the bulk of his career in Europe before coming to the U.S. last year. The former defender starred with Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premier League from 1992-2000, earning 133 appearances during his tenure. He also played in England with Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Derby County, and he earned seven caps for the Scotland National Team between 1999 and 2004.

"The fact that he was here before, he knows what the setting is like," Rennie said. "He knows a lot of the players. He was a great leader in the team last year and he wasn't able to fulfill his potential to play. He's now got focused on coaching and he got his qualifications and he wants to learn more about being a coach. I think he'll be a really good leader and a good balance to myself and the other coaches that we have."

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