Fleetwood Town assistant manager Mark Yeates has opened up on his journey from Dublin to the Premier League and his ambitions for the club's current campaign. Speaking on the latest episode of the club's official CodCast, the former Tottenham Hotspur winger shared standout memories from his playing career.
Yeates, who joined Spurs as a teenager, made his top-flight debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers and set up a goal for Robbie Keane. "You dream about being on Match of the Day," Yeates said. "Luckily enough, I got that opportunity and it’s a day I’ll always remember." His career later took him to clubs including Colchester United, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Watford and Bradford City.
FA Cup heroics at Stamford Bridge
It was with Bradford that he enjoyed one of his finest individual moments, scoring in a famous 4-2 FA Cup victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2015. "That’s probably my best individual moment," Yeates reflected. "What it meant for the group made it a massive day."
Now working as Matt Lawlor's assistant at Highbury, Yeates is applying that experience to help guide Fleetwood's League Two push. The club currently sits sixth in the table with nine points from five games, unbeaten in their last five outings. Their recent form reads WDDWD, with the latest result a 2-0 home win over Shrewsbury Town on 5 September, where Ronan Coughlan and Aaron Loupalo-Bi found the net.
With six goals scored and only three conceded so far, Fleetwood's solid defensive start provides a platform for the coaching staff's ambitions. The team is just three points behind early leaders Bristol Rovers. Fans can track the team's progress and upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures and standings pages. The next challenge is to maintain this unbeaten run as they look to close the gap at the top of League Two.
