Former Irish League star Tennant McVea building a coaching career in America

McVea left home for America with two suitcases 14 years ago after securing a scholarship at Loyola University – an opportunity which came about after he was scouted by former Manchester United youth player Mark Mettrick, who managed the university Greyhounds team, while he was captaining the U18 Schoolboy’s side.

Playing for Ards in the Irish League at the time, McVea wasn’t sure about the offer and originally turned it down when it came his way.

He had envisaged himself going to university close to home and playing football locally while holding down a job, but Mettrick was determined and flew the young defender out to the United States to see what life on the other side of the Atlantic could hold.

McVea was immediately sold and fast forward over a decade later, the 32-year-old is settled in Virginia where he is associate head coach at Old Dominion University, who compete in NCAA Division One.

The sport has grown quickly during his time there with the continued emergence of the MLS, and McVea is in charge of bringing players in from different backgrounds and putting them in a position to perform on the pitch.

“At the top end of Division One, you’re talking good Irish League teams,” he said.

“I’ve got kids from all over the world, not just America, so guys who have been one-year professionals in England, we have had really good success with guys who have played at a good level in Germany and then the American scene has exploded in the 14 years that I have been here.

“The standard is extremely high. There is a lot of athleticism and you mix that with the level of coaching which has gone through the roof in the last 10 years, it makes for great players.

“It’s a fantastic level and a great stepping stone for guys who maybe don’t make it across the water or here.

“We run our programme like a professional club and we have been pro before so we know what it takes to get guys back into the swing of things and when they do get the opportunities at a higher level they can step in and perform.”

His time in the college system couldn’t have gone much better as he was named Defensive Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons while also receiving a prestigious All-American honour.

“It fit me perfectly,” he added.

“In the first year we were bang average and there were some changes that needed to be made.

“Mark added a few kids in the next year and we weren’t the most talented team in the country but we worked hard for each other and it was fantastic.

“At the pinnacle of it we were one of the top five teams in the country and it was really special to be a part of.

“When I was a junior I was a first team All-American, which is an accolade here that not a lot of people get.

“It wasn’t just myself. I played well but it was the guys around me and who I was working with every single day that helped propel me to that.

“We always talk about giving guys a platform to get to the professional game and fortunately for me it worked out.”

McVea turned professional in 2010 when he signed for Finnish side FC Lahti and still finds time to play for local club Lionsbridge FC, who have an average attendance of 1,600 passionate supporters.

He played alongside the likes of current internationals Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart in the youth ranks and says captaining his country “is something that will live with me forever”.

His main focus is now trying to help the players he works with to fulfil their potential and McVea is also looking to keep educating himself, currently undertaking licencing with the United States Soccer Federation.

He said: “There are jobs in youth soccer and professional arena here, but the thing with my job that I love is I get guys between the ages of 18-22 and I get to help them be better footballers, but at the end of the day they are at college.

“They are in a learning phase of their life and if I can help them walk out the door a better man, I’ve done my job.

“We have created an environment here for guys to thrive and grow into themselves and that’s a massive part of why I stay in the college environment because you make an impact on and off the field.

“I’m on a journey with my licencing with the USSF here.

“I know all about the football but it’s learning how to teach it and a lot of it is about leading young men.

“It’s been something over the last year or two that I’m really delving into.

“The shouting and balling doesn’t get through sometimes and kids are so different these days.

“A coach could have shouted at me to do something and I would have just said yes, but now they ask why so it’s evolving and changing all the time.

“If you don’t stay on top of it, you can’t continue to grow and that’s massive for me. Leadership is invaluable in our profession.”

Most of McVea’s family live in Northern Ireland and although usually getting home to visit a couple of times a year, the coronavirus pandemic has meant that wasn’t possible in 2020.

It’s hard for him to believe the experiences that not just he has been able to have through football, but also what it has offered to his loved ones.

“It’s coming up to Christmas and I’ve just been to the storage unit to get the tree.

“I arrived here in 2006 with two suitcases and now have two houses full of stuff.

“I love home and I really miss it every day. I love our culture, our people, my family and this year has been hard.

“As I get older, maybe I would buy a place in Northern Ireland because I have nieces and nephews back home now and I would love to see them.

“Maybe I will spend a few months at home and then come back.

“You never know what the future is going to hold but I have built something here and I’m going to see it through. We will see what happens with opportunities down the line.”