A UNIVERSITY graduate has landed his dream job with Warrington Wolves.

Jack Phillips has been appointed as a performance analyst with the Wire’s first team after studying for a sports coaching foundation degree at the University of Chester’s Padgate campus.

The 25-year-old first became involved with the club during a first-year placement, with the Wolves also using the Crab Lane site as their training base.

He said: “I wasn’t completely sure that I wanted to study at university, which is why I chose the foundation degree.

“I wanted to see if it was for me, and fortunately it was.

“I chose to study sports coaching as I have a keen interest in coaching and the development of children through sport.

“I was aware that Warrington Wolves used the university campus as a training base and that the university had links to the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation.

“I wanted the opportunity to volunteer there and go a placement during my first year at university as part of one of my modules.

“After I completed my module I continued volunteering, shadowing coaches in primary schools and then high schools during my second year.”

By the time Jack was in his third year, he was getting paid as a casual coach with the Wire.

After six months, he was offered a full-time contract as a community rugby league coach with the foundation.

From there, Jack began to undertake performance analysis work in the club’s youth system and then went on to study a masters in sports science with the university.

He is now a full-time performance analyst with the first team squad and hopes to return to the University of Chester to deliver lecturers on sport and analysis to current students.

Jack added: “Gaining the qualifications I did at the university has enabled me to fulfil a lifelong ambition of working in professional sport by giving me the platform to succeed in this industry.

“I would encourage every student to take advantage of the volunteering opportunities available to them while they are at university.”