Jon Stead interview: Barnsley FC assistant and ex-Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United player on why his time in the US was the making of him

Barnsley assistant head coach Jon Stead's own aspirations to build a successful second career in football as a coach took him to the States in the summer of 2021.

He now resides back on home turf in Yorkshire as opposed to the sunshine state of Florida. But his time across the Pond has been the making of him and enriched his prospects of future success.

After hanging up his boots with Harrogate Town at the end of 2020-21, Stead - who played for three other White Rose clubs in his playing career - jetted out to Connecticut to become assistant to Hartford Athletic head coach Harry Watling, now first-team coach at Glasgow Rangers.

Fates decreed that Stead would later link up with Neill Collins at MLS side Tampa Bay Rowdies in January 2022.

The rest is history. After doing well in the US, the pair have secured a ticket back to the EFL with Barnsley.

They are making a fair fist of things, judging by the Reds' encouraging start to 2023-24.

Stead remains grateful for his States-side stint. Even though it was tough and nothing like the glossy brochure that many imagine it to be for UK-based players and coaches heading across the Atlantic.

Stead told The Yorkshire Post: "I think it's easy for some people to kind of think 'oh you are going over to America to have a nice holiday and do a bit of coaching on the side.’

"It was far from that. I paid a lot of my own way to get to Hartford as I needed the experience.

"I had to go on my own as my wife and two kids couldn't come on the visa and then there were Covid restrictions. They never actually visited me while I was there.

"I had seven months on my own (at Hartford), which was tough. But on the back of that, I ended up at Tampa.

"The family came out for a year and then in March, they came back as they didn't really settle.

"It can be a tough time. It's not like I was getting home at 2pm and then going to the beach with the family. When we'd travel to away games, we'd be gone four days in a row and work six until six.

"It's a lot different to being a player, put it that way. But it's quite easy to throw yourself into it."

Stead and Collins were briefly team-mates at Sunderland. But in terms of his move to Tampa to become his number two, it was certainly no 'old pals’ act'.

"It was a little bit different to that," Stead commented.

"We obviously played together briefly at Sunderland. I knew what type of person and player he was and how committed he was. But we both kind of went our separate ways.

"I wouldn't say we kept in touch much. We'd see each other now and again and play against each other.

"I went out to America as Harry's assistant - and we played against Neil's team. We spoke to each other and reconnected and then he was looking for another assistant and he approached me about the opportunity.

"From that moment onwards, we've spent pretty much every second together.

"Now, we are very, very close and of very similar opinions in how we see the game. But he also knows I will be honest in terms of my views as well and that's important. You don't want Neil just to hear ‘yes’ all the time."

In his playing days, Stead - who turned 40 in April - represented 12 clubs including Huddersfield Town, Sheffield United and Bradford City.

Given a pretty exemplary EFL career, landing a domestic job in coaching would have been pretty straightforward. Football is still a relatively small world.Instead, he opted for something completely different.

Stead, who saw a move to Barnsley fall through when he was a player during David Flitcroft's time in charge, added: "I'd been around the game a long time and got some really good contacts over the years.

"If I'd have decided to go down that coaching route (in England), I think there'd have been something there for me.

"But I needed something completely new and outside my comfort zone and that's why I chose the States.

"I wanted to experience a different footballing culture and environment and something that really tested me.

"Like with my football career, I wanted to start at the bottom and work my way up.

"That was my thought process. This (at Barnsley) has come a lot quicker than I imagined.

"I feel I am good at what I do and have a lot to learn and improvements to make, but I'm going in the right direction.

"I don't want to take any short-cuts or feel I have left any stone unturned. If we fail doing everything I can, then I can sleep at night."

After strong careers in the EFL, Stead and Collins have quickly identified themselves to be ones to follow in the coaching realm. They are worth watching.