Luke Tongue has graduated from the Wellington Phoenix academy for the second time.
Tongue, who played for the Phoenix reserves from 2015-2018, has been appointed the men’s first team’s second assistant coach and head analyst after two years at the academy in a coaching capacity.
He is the current head of male junior youth development, coaching the under-15 boys team while also serving as the assistant to reserves head coach Chris Greenacre, and earlier this year was named one of the academy’s staff members of the year alongside Jessica Fuller.
Tongue replaces Reggie Davani, who has resigned to return home to be with his family in Australia.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano says Tongue is a proper club product.
“It’s cool that Luke’s played and coached at the Phoenix,” Italiano said. “It’s important for me to have someone that has a long affiliation with the club represented in the coaching staff.
“Being an ex-player, being young and enthusiastic, having a great work ethic and a good attention to detail makes him a great fit for the role.
“Luke is also very likeable and has a lot of respect from the young players that he’s coached before so I think the transition into the first team is going to be easy for him.”
Luke Tongue is “very excited” to be joining the men’s first team staff.
“One of my first dreams when I started coaching was to get into the professional game and now I’ve done it,” Tongue said.
“It’s special to be realising that dream with a club that has been a big part of my life.
“I want to say a massive thanks to the Phoenix for giving me this chance. It’s great that the club is looking to promote from within, not just players from the academy but staff as well.”
Tongue is familiar with Giancarlo Italiano’s coaching team, having already spent a lot of time in the first team environment this year.
“I’ve worked with a lot of players before and during pre-season I got to know a lot of the players in the squad when we went on away trips.
“It was invaluable getting to know how Chief operates and how much planning goes into every session, every presentation and every game.
“Chief and (assistant analyst) Tyron [Curtis] gave me a lot of stuff to work on when I was in this role and I’ve gone away and worked hard, and now I feel like I’m more ready than I was at the start of pre-season.”
He “fell into coaching” after leaving the academy in 2018 and “fell in love with helping players get better and improve” before returning as a coach five years later.
“One of my main goals when I came back to the academy was to help players bridge the gap between the reserves and the first team.
“I think I’ve done that from an academy perspective and I hope to continue that work in the first team environment as well.
“I want to say a massive thanks to everyone at the academy, including all of the amazing technical directors that I’ve had, but especially Greeny.
“He’s taken me under his wing, has taught me a lot and he’s made me ready for the first team environment.”
Luke Tongue is currently deputising for Chris Greenacre as coach of the men’s reserves while Greenacre has been charge of the New Zealand team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
Tongue will join the first team staff for the men’s final pre-season match against Central Coast Mariners this Sunday.
