Gerard Jones outlines vision for Bangladesh youth teams

New Bangladesh youth teams coach Gerard Jones said he wants to build U-20 players who are confident on the ball, resilient and capable of matching opponents physically and tactically.

The 37-year-old Englishman outlined his vision after being introduced by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on Wednesday in presence of Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, BFF vice-president and chairman of its development committee. Jones has signed a two-year contract to oversee the country's U-15, U-17 and U-20 teams, with his first assignment being the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Uzbekistan, starting on August 31.

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"I've already seen the passion for football in Bangladesh. There's a lot of good young talent and I'm excited to work with the players," Jones said.

He said his focus would extend beyond results to creating a pathway for players to progress to the senior national team.

"My vision is to have a team that demonstrates bravery, resilience and confidence on the ball. We want players who can compete, solve problems under pressure and develop an identity," he said.

Jones revealed he had already spoken with Bangladesh senior team coach Thomas Dooley to ensure the youth sides are aligned with the senior team's philosophy.

The Englishman will be assisted by Romanian fitness coach Dragos Alin Hogea and Spanish goalkeeping coach Jose Maria Moreno Martinez.

The preliminary U-20 squad began training at the Shams Ul Huda Football Academy in Jashore, with 31 of the 44 selected players already in camp. Jones is due to join the squad on Thursday.

Team manager Sameed Quasem said the squad will remain in Jashore until August 1 before returning to Dhaka for a further two weeks of training. The team will then travel to Turkey for a series of warm-up matches ahead of the qualifiers.

Five overseas-based players are expected to join the squad later this month: Amin Tanjil (Italy), Mohammad Mahe Khan, Zidan Yousuf and Adam Abbas (United Kingdom), and Ehsan Malick (Australia).