GIS Graduate Adem Abdullah-Conaty on Coaching Overseas and His Role at Tottenham Hotspur

From coaching overseas with the West Ham United Foundation to supporting player development at Tottenham Hotspur, GIS graduate Adem Abdullah-Conaty is building his career in football.

A former MSc Football Coaching & Analysis student, Adem graduated from GIS in 2025, after combining his studies with his work for the West Ham United Foundation.

While at West Ham, he coached various youth squads and gained international experience, including time as a Head Coach at the club’s Elite Performance Academy in Thailand. His coaching experience has also taken him to New Zealand, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

“Football has always been a passion of mine, and coaching has given me an avenue to be involved with it everyday,” Adem said. He joined Tottenham Hotspur soon after graduating.

Still at the North London club, Adem works across multiple roles. His main role is as an International Development Coaches within Tottenham’s Global Football Development department, which sees him work with the club’s international partners. 

He also is an under-14 girls’ coach and Head Coach of the club’s Barnet and Southgate College (BSC) programme – a post-16 football course that he attended10 years ago.

Life as a Coach

“Coaching allows me to positively impact the lives of others, which is what I think a main aspiration of mine was to always achieve,” Adem said, highlighting the importance of community in his work.

Expanding on this impact, he explains that coaching can “support holistic development in others as well as myself through challenges and struggles I may face,” something he has experienced while working both in the UK and overseas.

“Coaching internationally,” he continued, “has opened my eyes to not only the different approaches to player development, but also teaching myself new ways to coach and connect. 

“Coaching players who haven’t had the same opportunities we may find in the UK, or coaching through a translator is an eye-opening experience and developed my ability to connect better with players from all environments.”

Reflecting on his time at Tottenham, Adem also highlighted the support available to help him develop as a coach.

“Working at Spurs’ Global Football Development department, they offer an extreme amount of support to our development as a coach and provide constant feedback whether through quality assurance, session planning, looking at differentiation towards the participants on the program. 

“There’s a clear plan in how we look to deliver our sessions to partners and a clear pathway for coaches to continue to develop.”

Life at GIS

With modules ranging from Philosophy in the Coaching Process to Applying Tactics and Strategies in Football, our MSc Football Coaching & Analysis programme aims to help students connect coaching and analysis, developing knowledge they can apply in their roles.

Diving into modules from Philosophy in the Coaching Process to Applying Tactics and Strategies in Football, our MSC Coaching & Analysis programme aims to provide students with not only knowledge that can be applied to real roles, but a necessary link between the disciplines of coaching and analysis. 

Programme leader Jim Orvis explained the value of combining these disciplines: “It’s not often that you get to dip your toes into both of those worlds. When you’re going into coaching or any desirable role, you have to be able to wear both hats.”

For Adem, the programme’s focus on football coaching and analysis was a key attraction

“The MSc football coaching and analysis course was a course I had strived to study way back in my first year of university in 2019. I loved the idea of completing a Master’s degree directly relating to topics of football that I love, which is the coaching side and supporting analysis to assist with the coaching. 

“The course really pushed me to further my understanding, and the residential with the tutors gave me invaluable lessons and experience.”

For Adem, studying with GIS offered the opportunity to deepen his understanding of coaching and analysis while continuing to gain practical experience in the game.

Learn more about our approach to flexible industry-focused learning, or explore our news page to hear from more students and graduates building their career in sport.

Article by Zakaria Anani