Mark Beard became Albion’s under-18 coach in May 2017, in the latest chapter of a lengthy playing and coaching career in the game.

Beard began his career at Millwall, and was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1991, beating a Manchester United team containing the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt along the way to glory.

He remained with the south London club for two years, before moving onto Sheffield United, Southend United and Kingstonian, before the midfielder headed to Spain and joined San Pedro and took on a combined player/coach role there.

The midfielder later moved on to Stevenage and AFC Wimbledon, before taking on a playing/coaching role at Tooting & Mitcham United and subsequently a youth team coaching job at Crawley Town.

Beard would become the manager of Loxwood and combined this with a role coaching the under-15 and under-16 age groups at the Albion, before he left the Surrey club to take up the Albion under-18 job on a full-time basis.