Former Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant has joked that he has been accused of joining the "dark side" after becoming a finishing coach.
Grant, who made just two appearance for the Reds during his time at Old Trafford, retired at end of the 2021/22 season after four campaigns with United. After leaving the club, he joined Ipswich Town's coaching staff as part of Kieran McKenna's backroom team at Portman Road.
However, his role with the Tractor Boys doesn't specifically focus on working with the club's goalkeeper's. Instead, he has been helping Ipswich's strikers. McKenna's men are currently the top scorers in League One having scoring 72 times this season - with Grant joking that his membership in the 'goalkeepers' union' is 'hanging by a thread'.
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"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. "Across 20 odd years of being in goal and conceding so many goals, I can remember so many so vividly. 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."
When Grant retired at the end of last season, United were left with David de Gea, Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton as their senior goalkeepers. Given that Henderson left Old Trafford to spend the campaign with Nottingham Forest, Erik ten Hag moved to add Martin Dubravka and then Jack Butland to his ranks as loan additions.
Grant made over 500 appearances as a professional during his career, with the majority of those coming for Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.
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