When Youri Tielemans's set-piece goal flew into the net during Aston Villa's Europa League victory over Freiburg in Istanbul, every substitute on the bench made a point of embracing one man — Austin MacPhee, the Scottish coach who had engineered the moment. Even goalkeeper Emi Martínez skipped the on-pitch celebrations to sprint across and show his appreciation.

Villa supporters chanted MacPhee's name as their side sealed a 3-0 win, and head coach Unai Emery called him a "fantastic creator" afterwards. Striker Ollie Watkins praised his "courage," while captain John McGinn described his fellow Scot as a "great set-piece coach."

From Cupar Hearts to the world stage

For anyone familiar with MacPhee's complicated history in Scottish football, the acclaim might feel surreal. His career path has been anything but conventional — from Forfar Athletic's youth ranks to US college football with the Wilmington Seahawks, then spells in Romania and Japan as a player.

As a coach, he managed Cupar Hearts all the way to the Scottish Amateur Cup final before working with Cowdenbeath, St Mirren, and Hearts in Scotland's domestic game. A formative year at Midtjylland — a club renowned for its set-piece expertise — sharpened his methods further.

MacPhee also scouted for Mexico at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, all while simultaneously running a sports travel firm and a community football club. During that period, he was serving as Michael O'Neill's assistant with Northern Ireland, playing an important role in their historic UEFA Euro 2016 qualification.

O'Neill, who worked alongside MacPhee for six years, was vocal in his defence: "Austin brings a high level of knowledge on the opposition, a creative way to train and he's creative in how he brings information to the players."

A record-breaking stint at Villa Park

It is his five years at Aston Villa, however, that have cemented his reputation. In the 2023-24 season, Villa scored more set-piece goals than any other club across Europe's top five leagues. The following season, only four clubs bettered their tally, and in the most recent campaign, Villa were level with Arsenal for the most set-piece goals in those divisions.

The results stem from hours of work on the training pitch, detailed video analysis, and personalised animations and graphics sent directly to players' phones. Emery acknowledged the partnership during the Istanbul celebrations: "We work on everything so hard and everything makes sense. Congratulations to Austin too — he has so much experience and we know exactly what we are doing."

The Portugal challenge

MacPhee stepped away from Steve Clarke's Scotland setup in 2023 to care for his ill father, having helped the national side qualify for UEFA Euro 2024. He joined Roberto Martinez's Portugal staff in February of the following year, bringing his expertise to one of the favourites heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 46-year-old from Kirkcaldy — recognisable by his long blonde hair — divided opinion during his time in Scottish domestic football, particularly when he served as Hearts caretaker manager in 2019. Today, however, his methods speak for themselves, and Portugal will be hoping his set-piece genius helps deliver the World Cup glory the country craves.