Under-21 Lead Coach Omer Riza is excited about the upcoming season and is relishing the opportunity to continue to develop Watford’s promising talent.
After a successful 2021/22 campaign that saw several players from Riza’s squad earn call-ups to the senior set-up, the 42-year-old is ready and raring to start again.
During the summer break, Riza was awarded his UEFA Pro Licence, the highest professional coaching badge. Handed his certificate by England manager Gareth Southgate and assistant manager Steve Holland, Riza was overjoyed and excited for the future.
“For me, it’s a great achievement,” Riza began. “When you start your coaching journey you always think where does it start and where does it finish. To be able to finish and go to that next level, becoming a Pro Licence coach, is great.
“It’s about that next part of the journey and I think people know where I want to get to – I want to be a senior coach, preferably at this club one day. It’s something I want to achieve and it’s something I have always been pushing for because I love that competitive edge that senior football brings. That will be my pathway eventually.
“It has been a long 18 months with parts of the award over Covid. Once the restrictions were lifted I had the opportunity to go into different environments and learn new concepts and ideas. It has been brilliant for me and something which I’m really proud of. I will keep working hard and I will keep progressing.
“I’m really proud and it was nice being given it by Gareth [Southgate] and Steve Holland. Luckily for me I had been in that environment with England before, and I had chances to speak to them along the process.”
Focusing on the Under-21s’ pre-season preparations, Riza is enthusiastic about the talent that he has at his disposal heading into the new campaign.
“It’s been really good,” he said. “Obviously the weather has been hot, but we can’t moan! The conditions have been tough and we are trying to get as much water on the pitches as we can. It’s all part and parcel of the game, and we are lucky to have what we have got here.
“It has been tough in that respect for the players, but they have got on with it well. The boys have done their testing, they have been running and working hard. We have started to work on different aspects in and out of possession. It’s full-on for the players and it’s really important they get through it both physically and mentally.
“We played our first game against Loughborough (July 16) and we lost 2-1, but they’re an older side than us. It was a good test for us because we are a young squad again this year. We had three or four trialists involved, six or seven second-year scholars and a few professionals. We are working on pressing high and hard and we caused them a few problems.
“We scored a nice goal through the press and it was good to see those outcomes that we work on in training. It was a good experience, and we will take that into the next one against West Bromwich Albion’s Under-21 side (July 23).”
One of the major changes heading into the new season is Watford’s Under-23 side becoming an Under-21 team, due to the changes enforced by the Premier League’s new age requirements.
Riza believes that the change is a positive one, with the Hornets already playing younger players in higher age groups.
“The change lends itself to what we are trying to do,” he continued. “We were using younger players any way to push our players. The rules haven’t changed much for us because we were going to be playing 17 and 18-year-olds.
“Also, the rule has changed which means we can now play older players within that age group which will allow us to get that balance. It’s important to have senior players alongside our youngsters to help them learn and develop. If you go too young, then who are they learning from and what experience are they gaining? It’s about getting that balance.
“It will be an interesting season, giving people opportunities and seeing how they take to it.”
A key part of Riza’s role as Under-21 Lead Coach will be working alongside first-team Head Coach Rob Edwards, as both teams look to complement each other’s work. This has already begun with the first-team coaches meeting the Academy players and staff during pre-season.
“Rob [Edwards] and Richie [Kyle] have come in and it seems like they have changed the environment and the boys have been happy with the practices and sessions,” he said.
“They have been great, and they have come over and spoken to the Under-21s, the Under-18s and the Under-17s letting them know that the standards don’t drop wherever you go.
“Obviously, they want to give players opportunities, but they have to win games. I’m sure if he has the opportunity and people are ready, he will give them a chance.”
Riza is looking forward to getting the season underway and has high hopes for the approaching campaign.
“For us, it’s about the individual development of players and pushing players to develop at a rate that helps them to progress,” Riza explained.
“We are working and focusing on every individual player and then within a team. We need them to understand the structure and the concepts that we are trying to teach them.
“We want to enjoy the season, see players progress as individuals, and play well as a team. To get that you need to be creative to score goals and you need to be solid and disciplined to not concede.
“There are lots of things we will work on as a group, and we are looking forward to it. The boys are working really hard and they have all shown good attitudes and they need to continue that.”
Watford FC confirms that Academy players Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Darrin Enahoro-Marcus have left the club ahead of the 2022/23 season. The Hornets wish both players the best for their futures.
