He’s gone! Coaching shock at Gold Coast United

ASPIRING A-League club Gold Coast United have dropped a coaching bombshell.

MEN’S NPL coach Sean Lane will leave Gold Coast United at the end of the season as the reborn club’s comeback campaign threatens to spiral out of control.

FOOTBALL FIELD BATTLE

Riding a five-game losing streak and with James Coutts, Nick Panetta and Dean Wernerson having left mid-season, United on Wednesday agreed to part ways with Lane, who steered Brisbane Strikers to the 2017 NPL title.

Gold Coast United football player Jayden Prasad. Photo by Andrew Hudson Sports Photography.

With United’s heavy focus on youth development ahead of on-field results at senior level, the Bulletin understands Lane, who also coaches the under-16s, did not see eye-to-eye with technical director Craig Midgley on a number of club strategies.

WEEKLY REPORT CARD

A source told the Bulletin players were informed former United A-League defender Kristian Rees would coach the senior side for the last two games of the season, but club chairman Danny Maher insisted Lane would see out the year.

“Sean has been a wonderful professional for our club during our first year back in the National Premier Leagues and his experience has helped us enormously. As our inaugural NPL coach, Sean takes his place in the club’s history and we are very proud of him,” Maher said in a release.

Gold Coast United's Sean Lane. Picture: SUPPLIED

“Sean is the ultimate professional, a great person and is held in exceptionally high regard by the club. We continue in to next season with our youth focus building on the foundation laid by Sean and hope to see Sean a lot around the club.”

SURFERS’ COMEBACK

With injuries also ravaging the club, Lane said he was proud of his achievements with the senior side.

“We lost numerous key players to injury which saw us unable to field the same starting 11 week to week – we had to use over 40 players this season,” Lane said.

“With our best players fit and on the park we found ourselves able to beat any team in the NPL and I’m pleased with that, especially for a new group of players. I’m really proud of how the group stuck to task and got the results needed.

WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY

“They’ll learn a lot from the season and be better players and people for it. It has been a remarkable year and the club continues to rise.

“I am proud to have been able to apply my experience in this inaugural year to launch and grow the senior programs and their connections with the youth.”

Just last week, Maher spoke glowingly of Lane in the Bulletin’s Round Ball Round Up podcast, saying he had helped create a positive culture from under-9s to seniors.