Jason Euell believes working alongside and learning from Nigel Pearson provides him with the perfect platform to follow in his footsteps on his journey to become a manager.
The duo were reunited two weeks ago with the club appointing Euell to become the club's first-team coach, 14 years after the former striker played under Pearson during his brief spell as manager of Southampton.
Euell joined City on the back of nine years as a coach at Charlton, first working with the academy and U23s before eventually making the step up to first-team coach under Nigel Adkins. He has previously spoken of his frustration at the lack of opportunities for progression during his time with the Addicks having had to wait eight years before his promotion to senior football.
During that period the 45-year-old applied for the vacant AFC Wimbledon job on two separate occasions, and although a strong candidate due to his affiliation with the club having emerged through the youth ranks, proved unsuccessful.
Euell, who joined the City ranks during their pre-season camp in Austria, was in the dugout for the first time on Wednesday as he watched the Robins kick off their friendly campaign with a 2-0 victory over Cheltenham.
But he has ambitions to be the main man at the helm one day in the future having enrolled on the League Managers’ Association’s diploma in football management course. He told Bristol Live: "That's always been my aim, when I went into coaching it was always to try and coach at the highest level. Fortunately, I was able to play at the highest level and with me going into coaching that's what the aspiration was.
"When you talk about people you take things from whether you're a coach or a manager, the good things and the bad things you can look at someone like Nigel and I've got that opportunity to work with him again from the other side of the white line, then that's only going to help me going forward.
"People ask me about the managers I've worked with, and taken bits from and I've always said that Nigel was someone who I could take things from - his leadership, authority and presence. He's very much a people person as well and you have to get that balance in football.
"But my only role now is to come in the building and contribute as much as I can and my focus is with Nigel, (Curtis) Fleming, the coaching staff and the players to have a successful season."
Euell has settled quickly into life in Bristol, despite the whirlwind 48 hours that saw him leave his job at Charlton before Pearson came calling. Working alongside the manager was a key factor in his decision as were the Premier League standard facilities.
"Everything is set up for promotion, all that's next is to achieve it," Euell added: "I'm loving being in an environment like this, it's totally different to what I've been used to at Charlton it's a different league and a different level, I'm looking to try and put some markers down and contribute as much as I can.
"Once I heard there was interest, I know over the years by playing against them and what they do in their pathway in bringing players through, the turnaround of Ashton Gate and now the training ground, it just had a feel of being able to work with Nigel again at a club that wants to get to the Premier League.
"I'm a coach that wants to win stuff and get promoted and I still have that on this side of the white line rather than being on the field."
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