The SPIRE Soccer program continues to grow, as they have formally announced that former professional English footballer Sean Lane has been appointed Soccer Technical Director and Head Coach. With this impressive athletic background as well as a history of building successful teams, he is the optimal fit for this role.

A native of Gold Coast, Australia, Lane spent his early days as a player in the UK, mostly as a striker/midfielder for Derby County FC and Hereford United FC. From there, he enjoyed a successful playing career in his home country, playing for clubs such as Preston Lions FC and Brunswick Juventus FC. Lane claimed league championships for both Juventus FC and Lions FC in 1991 and 1994, respectively.

“I join a very experienced team of coaches at SPIRE who all encourage an individual approach to development,” Lane stated. “We use a balance of technical expertise, cutting-edge technology and performance training to enhance the experience and performance of our student athletes.”

Where Sean’s true value at SPIRE will shine is in his strong background in building teams with a focus on the tactical and technical aspects of the game as he helps build the SPIRE Soccer program alongside SPIRE’s Director of Soccer, Troy Bingham. He believes in developing strong, well-adjusted and capable players that use the program as a means to improve as athletes and people. 

“We were very clear when appointing our academy Head Coach we wanted someone who could bring some old-school toughness and experience with modern coaching techniques and international experience,” Bingham explained. “At SPIRE, we focus on developing our players for the college and professional levels, and Sean’s understanding of the work, intensity and technical and tactical skills for the modern game will be a huge asset for our players.”

Since his days as a pro athlete, he has built a coaching resume that includes the Brisbane Strikers, Gold Coast United, Gold Coast Knights and Dhaka Mohammedan. Lane led the Brisbane Strikers as League Champions in 2016 and 2017, while the Gold Coast Knights enjoyed Finals Champion status under him in 2019 and 2022. Lane holds A, B, and C licenses for the Football Federation Australia, and is set to receive his AFC Professional Football Diploma for the Asian Football Confederation in December 2022.