Chris McCann at Salford City

Former Atlanta United veteran Chris McCann has traded the bright lights of MLS for a coaching whistle in Salford, England. Since retiring in 2023, McCann earned his coaching license. McCann, now 38, isn’t patrolling the midfield or filling gaps at left-back anymore. Since retiring in July 2023, the Irishman has traded his boots for a whistle and a UEFA A Licence. Today, he serves as the Lead Professional Development Phase (PDP) Coach for Salford City F.C.

In the English academy hierarchy, the PDP is the link between the academy and the first team. McCann oversees the U17 and U18 squads - the scholars who are a single phone call away from the physical crucible of EFL League Two.

Preparing Players for the Senior Game

At Salford, McCann works with the U17 and U18 age groups inside a Category 3 academy structure. Those players sit one step below senior football and train with the understanding that consistent performance can lead to exposure with the first team competing in EFL League Two.

His sessions focus on adult match demands. Players are trained to manage tempo, absorb physical contact, defend first contact in the box, and recognize when game state requires restraint rather than risk. Evaluation centers on whether those decisions hold under fatigue and under scoreline pressure.

That standard was visible after a 1–0 cup win over Bradford City. McCann highlighted organizing behind the ball, managing restarts, and recognizing moments to play long in order to relieve pressure. He described the performance as professional because the group controlled the final stages of the match.

Managing Game State

McCann’s match reviews consistently return to controlling situations. He prioritizes the unflashy details, like body shape when receiving under pressure or winning the first aerial duel. He also stresses the importance of maintaining compact distances between units when protecting a lead. For McCann, these technical habits determine whether an academy standout can translate their talent into senior-level reliability.

He has described his younger players as “green behind the ears” - gifted athletes who occasionally struggle with the emotional discipline of a full match. Following a gritty 1–0 win in cup play, McCann noted that he saw progress in restraint rather than scoring. He praised the gritty side”* of the performance, specifically citing players who put their bodies in front of the ball and managed the clock when it went out of play. It is a philosophy that rewards doing the right thing at the right time over simply playing at full throttle.

The Professional Standard

At the Professional Development Phase level, McCann speaks frequently about consistency. He links it to reducing the swings between strong and poor performances across a run of matches. The expectation is that players maintain the same defensive concentration, work rate, and decision making whether the game is flowing or scrappy.

That view connects directly to the match situations he prioritizes: protecting a one-goal lead, organizing units behind the ball, and recognizing when to clear long rather than forcing play through pressure. These are the moments that test whether a player can manage game state under the physical demands of English football.

For the U17 and U18 scholars at Salford, McCann’s oversight represents the final checkpoint. Advancement to the senior squad depends on repeating these behaviors until they become second nature. When defensive structure holds late in matches and effort levels remain intact, the jump to the first team becomes a realistic possibility.

It is a coaching philosophy built on the hard-earned belief that while talent gets you noticed, consistency gets you a career.