New management team believe they are a perfect for Peterborough United
Assistant manager Ryan Harley believes he and Luke Williams are a perfect management fit for Peterborough United...and they intend to prove it.
Harley (40) was a cultured midfielder in his playing days, mainly for Exeter City, but it was at Brighton 15 years ago when he bumped into Williams for the first time. Harley was a first-team squad member and Williams was coaching the under 21s, but the pair hit it off and formed a strong relationship which remains intact today.
Harley also played for the likes of MK Dons and Swindon Town. He’s worked with Williams at MK, Notts County and Swansea City, the latter two as manager and assistant.
"We work well together,” Harley told the Posh Plus service. “Luke is the lead as the manager, but we are very respectful of each other and we both love working to improve players. It’s been a good partnership and we are now both glad to be at Peterborough as it just seems like the perfect fit for us.
"The three teams we have previously worked with together all liked to dominate the ball and so do Peterborough. Peterborough has been a niche club with the way they play and the way they develop players. That suits us and the fact that Peterborough are big on their Academy is something we like as well.
"It’s possession football with a purpose which is something Luke and I have been doing. We try and develop young players predominantly, but we also try and develop senior players as well. You’ve never really cracked football no matter how long you’ve been in the game. There is always something new to learn and it’s the same for coaches. There are things to learn every day.
"I was always sort of interested in coaching without taking the jump. I took my first session when I was at MK when Luke was there and I enjoyed it. I’d met Luke when I was at Brighton as a player and he was coaching the under 21s. Sometimes when you are not in the first team you spend time with the under 21s and Luke and I took a shine to each other.
"Luke took me to Notts County and then to Swansea with him and we worked well together. Hopefully we will show that at Peterborough as it was time to get back into football.
"We were off the grass for seven/eight months and although it’s nice to spend time doing stuff you can’t do when you’re in football, you do get the urge to get back in. When jobs were becoming vacant we did wonder whether or not that would be the way back, but we believe we are now at a club that really suits us.”
Harley will be in the managerial dugout on Saturday when League One over-achievers AFC Wimbledon visit the Weston Homes Stadium.