I coach the best youngsters at Manchester United and Man City - these are the three things I look for

If you are a promising young footballer in the North West of England, there is a good chance you already know who Kwaku Ohemeng is.

With thousands of followers on social media, it is no surprise the region's brightest talents are queuing up to be trained by the FA and UEFA licensed coach who has worked closely with Jeremie Frimpong, Adama Traore and hundreds of youngsters from the Manchester United, Man City and Liverpool academies at the Seedorf Football Academy he founded himself.

It was after his football career came to an end in Ghana that the idea came about. Ohemeng formed his own team to give something back to his local community, but soon discovered there was no real youth infrastructure in place for children up until the age of 16. So he set one up himself.

Having already worked with youngsters during a spell at Anderlecht, he knew exactly what was required to help them fulfil their potential, though it was a move to the UK to play semi-pro football in Manchester that really took it to another level.

"Coaching has never been my job, it's my passion," he told Manchester World. "I enjoy it more than playing. I was playing for a semi-pro team, and one of my friends asked me why I wasn't training my own son, because he was so good. He was right. That was the last game I played, I quit immediately and started training him instead."

It was in the wake of the Covid pandemic that Ohemeng started to gather attention. With professional football on hiatus and various regional restrictions in place, players faced an uphill struggle trying to stay fit at a time of such uncertainty. When it was safe to do so, Ohemeng started to train a small group of four players on an abandoned pitch out of view from passers by, and before he knew it, word of mouth had spread just as quickly as the pandemic itself. The coach was getting requests to help train players every day and was even asked to keep a few Liverpool youngsters fit at a time when they were unable to use club facilities.

"My friend told me that some of the academy boys from Liverpool needed training, so I took that risk. Parents would come, drop their kids, and then hide in their cars. I was the only one on the pitches with them, because they were all scared after the virus. I took the risk for over two years. Every single day. The word of mouth started to spread, and even more people started to turn up. It got to a point when someone phoned the police. They asked where all the parents were and I said, 'look, they're still in their cars.' I made sure everyone was at a two-metre distance and I was allowed to keep training them. After that, I started posting it on Instagram and people from everywhere started to ask if I could help them too."

Ohemeng wasn't only reliable, he was revolutionary. He soon forged a fierce reputation as one of the hardest trainers, and is well-known for his ruthless sessions that push players to their limits. It doesn't matter whether they play in the Premier League, like former clients Anthony Martial, Axel Tuanzebe and Man City Women star Khiara Keating, or play in the park with their mates. Every single player is exposed to the same rigorous training regime that focuses on building their fitness and resilience.

He added: "My aim is not to train them to be professionals, but rather to give those kids from the streets a chance. The crime rate is high in Manchester, if I can do this and keep them off the streets, that gives me so much joy. As a coach, only so much is about what you do on the pitch. I teach them more about life. You can teach 100 kids, and maybe two will make it as a professional, if that. I teach them football is something you have to enjoy, but you have to take your education seriously. There are ups and downs and I make sure they are all prepared for what might happen if their careers come to an end. I try to educate the parents too. Their son might be good, but that doesn't mean he will make it. I tell them they need to take their education just as seriously as football. I know boys who have been in an academy their whole life and not made it, and others who haven't been in an academy but have made it. There is no guaranteed path to success, they need to realise that."

With the likes of United youngsters Godwill Kukonki, Habeeb Ogunneye and Sekou Kaba training with him regularly, as well as Wolves wonderkid Mateus Mané, it seems only a matter of time before Ohemeng adds another Premier League player to his list of graduates.

You only have to take a quick glance at his Instagram page to see why the demand is still so high. Ohemeng, who still primarily trains players on pitches in Ardwick, pushes people to their limits and has a whole host of testimonies from professional players who continue to pass on his name, and countless youngsters looking to get the edge as they chase their dreams.

It doesn't matter who comes asking for lessons though, he asks the same three things of them all. "Hard work, discipline and how you are able to handle your emotions. You can't rely on talent alone, hard work is so important. At a certain level, everyone can play football, but not everyone is willing to pay the price to play. When I train players, it doesn't matter if they are Premier League or grass roots. I train them all in the same way. I will train them very hard. When you train hard, you can do anything on the pitch when you are fully fit. I make them feel uncomfortable in training, so when they have to do it on the pitch, they do feel comfortable.”

With such an impressive CV, it is no surprise to learn so many of the top clubs have approached him for permanent work. Ohemeng says he has received offers from 'every top club', though there is a key reason why he prefers to oversee things from the Seedorf Football Academy himself and why he will continue to help any youngster who messages him looking to improve themselves.

"I have a lot of players from Liverpool, I train a lot from Manchester United, Man City, Everton, Blackburn, Burnley. You name it. I have got more than 200 hundred of these boys. If I took a job at Man City, I wouldn't be allowed to train Man United players, Liverpool players. The same for each of those clubs. I look at the big picture. I would rather help all these boys than take the better money they would give me. I can't leave these boys, they need me the most. I just want to be proud, when I see a player make an appearance at any level it brings me so much joy. That is my wish for everyone."

Ohemeng has already made so many wishes come true and there are even more to come.