Former Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant jokes that one of his fellow stoppers has accused him of joining the "dark side" after becoming a finishing coach.
The 40-year-old, who played just twice in his four seasons as United's backup, hung up his gloves at the end of the 2021-22 season. He has joined the coaching staff at Ipswich, who are managed by former United coach Kieran McKenna, but his role doesn't focus on the Tractor Boys' keepers.
Ipswich are pushing for promotion back to the Championship, and a return of 72 goals makes them the top scorers in League 1 this term. Grant may well have had something to do with that, even if others aren't letting him forget his past.
“I’ve had a bit of stick from [Ipswich goalkeeper coach] Rene Gilmartin saying I’ve crossed to the dark side,” Grant told The Telegraph. He admitted his membership of the so-called 'goalkeepers' union' is "hanging by a thread," but explained how his unique experience has helped him with Ipswich's strikers.
“Across 20 odd years of being in goal and conceding so many goals, I can remember so many so vividly," he added. "They are etched into my mind and psyche.
"I use that to help guide the forward players occasionally, for the sorts of outcomes that no goalkeeper would like. We talk about foot patterns, how quickly we can get shots off, arriving onto the ball as quickly as possible, shortening steps.
“I like it when our strikers are dictating to the goalkeepers. I enjoy it when we’re the ones leading the dance. If I think back to myself between the sticks, that was probably where I felt most vulnerable, when a striker had that real clarity about what they were trying to achieve and were able to do it with speed and precision."
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When Grant retired, it left Man Utd with David de Gea, Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton as their senior goalkeepers. Henderson has spent the season on loan at Nottingham Forest, with United adding Martin Dubravka and then Jack Butland as temporary signings of his own.
"Whether it's David, Dean, Tom, myself, we'll all be pushing to play and excited and ready to support the one that is playing," Grant told manutd.com in 2021. "What we are fortunate with here at Manchester United is that we’ve got four characters that are able to get along and co-exist, which is not always the case,"
"We're fortunate that we are able to do that to a very high standard. What that does allow us to do is to push each other and genuinely and authentically push and challenge each other on the training ground."
