Meet Our Special Guests at the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention!

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that inspiresport has lined up some incredible special guests for the upcoming United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim on January 10-14, 2024! Brace yourselves for an unforgettable experience as we welcome the legendary Javier Zanetti, Paul Lambert, and Mike Phelan, who will all be joining us at the event.

Javier Zanetti

A legend of world football, Zanetti leads the all-time Inter appearance charts (858). Zanetti left Buenos Aires in 1995 to join Inter and quickly established himself as one of the Club’s most iconic players. By the time he retired, at the age of 40, he was Inter’s record appearance-maker in the Champions League (82), had made the most consecutive appearances in the history of the Club (137) and was the most decorated Inter player ever: five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia, four Italian Super Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup.

In 2004, he was included in a list of the 125 best players in the world. In 2011, he became one of the few players to reach 1000 career appearances and also received the Golden Foot award in recognition of his illustrious career, confirming his legendary status in the game.

In 2001, Zanetti created the PUPI Foundation to support socially disadvantaged children in Argentina.

Zanetti represents the Club in Italy and globally at institutional, sporting, commercial and social events. A vital link between club and team, Zanetti also represents Inter at UEFA and FIFA events and initiatives. Furthermore, he is the main point of reference for the Club’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

Paul Lambert

Paul Lambert enjoyed a distinguished career marked by notable achievements. As a midfielder, Lambert became the first British player (since its reformation in 1992) to win the UEFA Champions League title with Borussia Dortmund in 1997. His pivotal role and leadership qualities were further highlighted during his seven-year tenure at Celtic, winning 4 SPL titles, 2 Scottish Cups, 2 Scottish League Cups and captaining his side to the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. Lambert also won the Scottish Cup with St Mirren in 1987 aged just 17yrs old.

His international career included significant contributions to the Scottish national team, earning 40 caps, 15 of those as captain, representing Scotland at their last World Cup appearance in 1998 and scoring 1 goal. In recognition of his outstanding performances, Lambert was honored with the Scottish Football Writers Player of the Year award in 2002 and would later go on to be inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

Transitioning into management, Lambert most notably guided Norwich City to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League (2009-2011) and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2012. Later managerial stints included spells at Aston Villa, Wolves, Stoke and Ipswich. Lambert’s legacy embodies excellence as a player and a manager, both domestically and on the European stage. Presently, Paul is an ambassador for Celtic FC & Borussia Dortmund alongside various media commitments.

Mike Phelan

Mike Phelan is a former Manchester United player, coach and twice assistant manager with multiple Premier League titles, FA Cups, Football League Cups, a European Cup Winners Cup, a UEFA Champions League and World Club Champions titles to his name. A business owner and Chairman, occasional TV pundit and professional opinion media contributor, Mike will not disappoint, he is a vastly experienced and truly elite operator providing a wealth of experience.

Phelan has spent time throughout his career lecturing in higher education establishments, headlining conferences, consulting, and providing intel for blue chip and major corporate business and immersing himself throughout his career at institutions far beyond Manchester United.

Mike will be joined by David Horrocks, who has also worked for Manchester United, as Head of Research and Development. This role harbored the responsibility for the future of sport, and particularly the multi-disciplinary teams (MDT) in tech, science, analytics, psychology, and coaching. In addition, David has also spent extended periods as a performance director in European, South African and USPA tour golf.

Recent engagement involves collaboration and knowledge transfer with the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, The FA, The FA Premier League, Mercedes AMG Petronas, British Cycling, Red Bull, The London School of Contemporary Dance, The Professional Golfers Association, Ineos, Milwaukee Bucks and leading military and government personnel.

Using their extensive experience, Phelan and Horrocks now work together to offer elite performance seminars to inspiresport tours, using data driven sessions to provide a masterclass on and off the field.

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to meet and connect with these legends of the game and some of the best in the business. Stay tuned for more details, and we look forward to seeing you at the Convention!

For more information on the event, visit www.unitedsoccercoachesconvention.org.