Sa Youri Tielemans ya jefa burin set-piece ya shiga raga a nasarar Aston Villa a kan Freiburg a Europa League a Istanbul, duk wanda ke zaune a benci ya tabbatar da runguma da mutumin da ya shirya waccan loka — Austin MacPhee, kocin Scotland da ya tsara aikin. Har mai tsaron raga Emi Martínez ya bar bukukuwan filin ya guje zuwa gare shi don nuna godiyarsa.

Magoya bayan Villa sun rera sunan MacPhee yadda ƙungiyarsu ta rufe nasarar 3-0, kuma babban kocin Unai Emery ya kira shi "mai ƙirƙira na ban mamaki" bayan wasan. Mai ci Ollie Watkins ya yabi "ƙarfin halinsa", yayin da kyaftin John McGinn ya bayyana ɗan ƙasarsa na Scotland a matsayin "babban kocin set-piece."

Daga Cupar Hearts zuwa mataki na duniya

Ga duk wanda ya san tarihin rikitaccen MacPhee a ƙwallon ƙafa na Scotland, wannan yabo na iya zama kamar mafarki. Aikinsa bai kasance na al'ada ba kwata-kwata — daga matasa Forfar Athletic zuwa ƙwallon ƙafa na koleji na Amurka da Wilmington Seahawks, sannan lokatai a Romania da Japan a matsayin ɗan wasa.

A matsayinsa na koci, ya jagoranci Cupar Hearts har zuwa ƙarshen gasar Scottish Amateur Cup kafin ya yi aiki da Cowdenbeath, St Mirren, da Hearts a ƙwallon ƙafa na cikin gida na Scotland. Shekara mai mahimmanci a Midtjylland — ƙungiyar da aka sani da gwanintarta a set-piece — ta ƙara haɓaka hanyoyinsa.

MacPhee kuma ya yi aikin binciken ɗan wasa wa Mexico a gasar Kofin Duniya ta 2014 a Brazil, yana gudanar da kamfanin tafiye-tafiye na wasanni da ƙungiyar ƙwallon ƙafa ta al'umma a lokaci guda. A wannan lokaci, shi ne mataimakin Michael O'Neill tare da Ireland ta Arewa, yana taka muhimmiyar rawa a cancantar tarihin UEFA Euro 2016.

O'Neill, wanda ya yi aiki tare da MacPhee na shekara shida, ya kare shi da ƙarfi: "Austin yana kawo babban matakin ilimi game da abokin hamayyar, hanyar ƙirƙira ta horo, kuma yana da ƙirƙira wajen yadda yake kawo bayanai ga 'yan wasa."

Lokaci mai rikodi a Villa Park

Sai dai shekaru biyarsa a Aston Villa ne suka tabbatar da sunansa. A kakar 2023-24, Villa ta zura ƙwallaye mafi yawa daga set-piece fiye da kowace ƙungiya a manyan gasar Turai biyar. A kakar mai zuwa, ƙungiyoyi huɗu ne kaɗai suka fi su yawa, kuma a kakar ta baya-bayan nan, Villa sun kasance daidai da Arsenal a lambar ƙwallaye na set-piece a waɗancan rarrabuwa.

Waɗannan sakamako sun dogara ne akan awowi na aiki a filin horo, nazarin bidiyo mai zurfi, da zane-zane da hotuna na musamman da aka aike kai tsaye zuwa wayoyin ɗan wasan. Emery ya amince da wannan haɗin gwiwa a lokacin bukukuwan Istanbul: "Muna aiki tuƙuru kan komai kuma komai yana da ma'ana. Taya murna ga Austin ma — yana da ƙwarewar gaske sosai kuma mun san daidai abin da muke yi."

Kalubalen Portugal

MacPhee ya bar tawagar Steve Clarke da Scotland a shekara ta 2023 don kula da mahaifinsa mai rashin lafiya, bayan ya taimaka wa tawagar ƙasa ta cancanci UEFA Euro 2024. Ya shiga ma'aikatan Roberto Martinez tare da Portugal a watan Fabrairu na shekara mai zuwa, yana kawo gwanintarsa ga ɗaya daga cikin ƙungiyoyin da suke cikin masu fafatawa a FIFA Kofin Duniya 2026.

Wannan mutumin ɗan shekara 46 daga Kirkcaldy — ana gane shi ta doguwar gashin kansa ta rawaya — ya raba ra'ayoyi a lokacin da yake cikin ƙwallon ƙafa na cikin gida na Scotland, musamman a lokacin da yake gudanar da Hearts a matsayin koci mai kula a 2019. A yau, ko da yake, hanyoyinsa suna magana da kansu, kuma Portugal tana fatan gwanintarsa na set-piece za ta taimaka wajen cim ma ɗaukakar Kofin Duniya da ƙasar ke sha'awar.