Taurean Manders, the former Bermuda midfielder, has taken his first steps on the coaching ladder after joining the coaching staff at the FAB Academy at Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire.

Manders is serving as a house parent in the international residential programme for players aged between 12 and 14, which includes Bermudians Z’Dao Dill, Rio Russell and Jayce Basden. Dill and Russell are the great-grandsons of Earl “Townsey” Russell, who died at the age of 91 last month

Founded in 2009, the FAB Academy is the vision of Nas Bashir, a Uefa Pro Licence Coach, and offers boys and girls a professional learning environment with the aim of developing them both on and off the pitch.

All the coaching staff are level 2, 3, 4 and 5 qualified and have years of experience coaching and developing young players.

The academy’s facility was the subject of a £7 million investment in the past few years and boasts a state-of-the art 3G pitch and a Desso grass pitch, which is the same quality as Wembley Stadium.