Holland Snubs Potters Chance

Steve Holland has snubbed the chance of the Academy Director's job at Stoke City.

Holland was relieved of his duties at the Alex just over a month ago and has since taken a break from the game, despite the club keeping a job offer on the table for the former boss.

Having spent 15 years at the Alex, with much of them heading the successful academy, it is no surprise that Holland is interesting Premiership academies.

Holland saw the likes of Dean Ashton, Rob Hulse, Danny Murphy and Nicky Maynard all progress whilst coaching, with many players commenting on Holland as being the biggest influence on their careers.

Holland's success as academy manager saw him earmarked for the manager's role at the club long before his appointment in summer 2007, but the job clearly came too soon as Holland could only swerve Crewe 1 point from being relegated to League Two in his first season.

He was 'relieved of his duties' in November after a dreadful start to the season, seeing us rock bottom with 9 points.

Holland has remained on good terms with the club and Dario Gradi it was this week Dario let slip that Holland had snubbed an advancement from Stoke City about his services, one which Stoke's John Rudge says didn't reach to a job offer.

Speaking to The Sentinel, Rudge said that they were interested in interviewing Holland:

'Myself and chief executive Tony Scholes had drawn up a shortlist of four or five candidates for the vacancy, of which Steve Holland was one.

'We had spoken to Steve, but we never went as far as actually offering him the job. He had indicated that he wanted to work with more senior players, not just the youth, and that's where it finished because he ended his interest.'

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