Stevie Grieve has landed a quick return to football as Head Coach at SJK Akatemia, which plays in the Ykkönen and is part of Finnish top-flight club SJK Seinäjoki.

The 36-year-old Football Careers client was briefly out of the game after leaving his role as Head of Performance and Recruitment at English League One bottom club, Forest Green Rovers, last month.

Now the adventurous Scot — who can count India and Canada amidst the stamps on his coaching passport — is in new territory in Finland.

And Stevie, who holds both a UEFA A Licence and a Canadian A qualification, is looking forward to getting back to the business of moulding players on the training field. He confessed:

“I’m excited. I’ve known Richie Dorman, the SJK Technical Director, for several years now and we’ve talked about the possibilities of working together in many different ways.

“In recent years, I have done more work as an analyst or a Technical Director but my blood draws me to coaching. This is a very interesting project and a very well-built club.”

Grieve moves to Finland in the latest chapter of a compelling career that has seen him go from Head of Coaching at top Canadian youth club Burlington Bayhawks to posts like Head of Recruitment at Scottish Premier League club St Johnstone.

From TV pundit in India to coach in Canada, Premiership top team analyst in Scotland and Game Model builder for coaching colleagues all over the world.

Stevie’s decision to immerse himself in the Beautiful Game has led to a journey he could never have imagined at the outset. Like many Football Careers clients, one of the key aspects of Stevie’s development as a coach and football professional has been travel.

The Scotsman, who grew up dreaming of being St Johnstone manager one day, took the leap of faith to move to India where he was head of the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and Technical Director of Garhwal FC.

He fashioned another strand of his career as a TV pundit there and hosted his own show The Mind Game which looked more deeply into the analysis of the game than traditional programmes. Stevie wouldn’t swap that time of his life for anything and he said:

“India was one of the most formative aspects of my coaching journey. My wife was there for the first six months and then she came home to Scotland to plan our wedding. 

“I had 18 months where I could have sat and moaned about being lonely or I could fill my time doing other things. I chose to really study in-depth on evidence-based coaching, I learned to use data properly.”

Stevie took up the challenge of coaching youth football in Canada and left a lasting mark on his players at Burlington Bayhawks with the dedication he showed. Teaching what is a developing sport in the suburbs of Toronto may seem a lifetime away from the next adventure in Finland.

Yet it’s one that new boss Dorman believes will prove a huge success. He revealed:

“We have cooperated and followed Stevie for a long time, and we are very excited that a person with his experience and football knowledge is joining our system. He will lead our player development group and take responsibility for the team playing in the First Division.”

Stevie Grieve on the services he received from Football Careers

“I did my UEFA A Licence with Football Careers Managing Director, Piero Carrino, and I got my CV done when I was planning my career moves. When I was in India, I was offered a few assistant and head coach roles in Asia and there’s no question that having the CV helped in that respect.

“The way I look at it, Football Careers gets you into the discussion for winning a role — and then it is up to you to get the job. Your CV will help you stand out from the crowd. Look like a professional. It’s about presentation, and Football Careers puts you into the conversations that matter.”