Herd has spent the past two years in Dominica, initially working with the country’s youth teams as a Fifa talent coach.
He says he has developed a deep affection for the nation and its people, who now regard him as one of their own.
Living on a picturesque Caribbean island has many benefits, but Herd acknowledges that his intense dedication to football sometimes prevents him from fully appreciating them.
That determination has shaped his entire career. After graduating from Abertay University, he moved from Scotland to Australia without a job and eventually began coaching Magic FC.
His career later took him to the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur, where he joined the Asian operation of Spanish club Villarreal, and to the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where goats once blocked the road and delayed a training session by four hours.
The journey has not always been straightforward, particularly when it meant missing important family occasions and milestones. Nevertheless, learning from different football cultures and enjoying memorable experiences along the way have made the sacrifices worthwhile.
Among those experiences was a five-a-side match against former Portugal forward Nuno Gomes at a Fifa gathering in Paraguay, as well as an opportunity that almost saw him play alongside Arsene Wenger in Zurich.
“The teams were announced beforehand, and I could hardly believe I had been placed on Arsene Wenger’s side. I even took a picture and sent it to my family because it felt incredible.”
“We changed, went out onto the pitch and started warming up, but then a little rain began to fall.”
“I started wondering where Arsene had gone. When we headed back to the restaurant, we found him sitting there with a bottle of red wine.”
“He explained that he had experienced enough rain during his years in London and did not want any more of it. While the rest of us ended up drenched, he relaxed indoors with his wine.”
Herd does not know where his coaching career will lead next, although his long-term goal is to work in club football at the highest level he can reach.
The Dundee native has already demonstrated that he is prepared to adjust, continue learning and embrace demanding assignments.
“This is what I want to experience every day,” he says. “I thrive on the pressure and the constant hard work.”
For the moment, he remains focused on fulfilling his various responsibilities with Dominica as the team pursues promotion in the Nations League.
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