Nemanja Matic is preparing for a life after his playing days are over.
The Manchester United midfielder has been in his native Serbia taking his coaching badges.
In an Instagram post, Matic said he has completed the first step, gaining his UEFA B license.
Matic wrote: “UEFA B license is over, thank you to all the lecturers for their dedication and commitment! It was nice to see colleagues after so many years and I wish everyone good luck in the continuation of their careers!”
Matic turns 33 on August 1 and will still have two years remaining on the surprisingly long Manchester United contract he signed last summer.
His performances seemed to take a step back last season and signing a defensive midfielder should be among United’s top priorities.
This may lead to an uncertain future for Matic. Whether he stays put at United will depend largely on him.
If he wants to find a club where he will play regularly, then Matic is best served moving on. He made only 12 of a possible 38 Premier League starts last season.
But Matic may be content sitting back, collecting his wages, and focusing on his post-playing career.
Juan Mata has been in a similar situation for a couple of seasons now and United keep on indulging him with contract extensions.
Matic has a leadership role behind the scenes at United, responsible for collecting fines among his teammates, the club website reported.
He would likely be able to take this disciplinarian role into management very effectively one day, and always speaks very well in interviews.
It is smart of him to take his coaching badges early and while his playing days are not over just yet, he is getting prepared for the day his career does come to an end..
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