Bombs, blood, ambushes – why football coaches train with the army

The rising sun bathes the rolling Herefordshire hillsides in a warm glow as birds gently chirp and sheep graze in the fields.

But this rural idyll is shattered by the sound of explosions, followed by plumes of smoke and ear-splitting screams.

Six camouflaged men rush to the scene to find a soldier howling for help as he clutches his bloodied leg, half of which appears to have been blown off.

Thankfully, the blood is fake and this is an actor – albeit a former soldier and amputee – and the first responders are a group of football coaches studying for their Uefa Pro Licence, the sport’s highest coaching qualification.

Former Arsenal midfielder and Wales captain Aaron Ramsey applies a tourniquet, while ex-Chelsea and Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero comforts the casualty.

Also part of the group are Peterborough United boss Luke Williams and Michael Wilde, who manages Colwyn Bay in the Cymru Premier, thrown together for this intensive, two-day exercise with military-trained personnel.

The Football Association of Wales’ (FAW) pro licence course has been described as the “Harvard of football coaching”, and counts Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s Premier League-winning manager, among its graduates.

By now, it is globally renowned, as illustrated by this latest batch of candidates.

“The FAW have earned themselves an incredible reputation in the world of coach education,” says Michael Bradley, the former United States and Roma midfielder who is now coaching New York Red Bulls.

“I’ve had great experiences with the FAW. I did my B Licence, my A Licence here, and now to have the opportunity to complete my Pro Licence, it’s a big honour.”