Sunderland captain Corry Evans will take his UEFA B coaching badge over the summer in Belfast.
The Northern Ireland international has previously spoken of his desire to stay in football once his playing days are over and, while recovering from his cruciate ligament injury, he will take a course held by the Northern Ireland FA.
Evans could be out until Christmas, but he is determined to put the time on the sidelines to good use. He will be in a group of qualification containing former players Nigel Reo-Coker and Phillipe Senderos.
The 32-year-old said: "As a player you just focus on playing and you don't really think about the other side of the game in terms of the detail of what goes into what coaches plan. I definitely have a lot more appreciation for what coaches do and the meticulous planning that has to be done to be at the high level of things. There’s a good spirit with the group of coaches and the best thing about it is we're all eager to learn. It's been really helpful, and it's been a really good group to be involved in."
