Former Northern Ireland striker Warren Feeney can hardly contain his excitement as he talks me through his surroundings on our phone call.
“It’s 29 degrees today, which is quite cool actually, but sometimes it is just too hot,” he says as I roll my eyes at home looking out into the never-ending drizzle in my garden.
“I’m about 30 minutes away from some of the theme parks and I’ve got a nice place here with a pool, Orlando was an easy choice to make.”
After enduring a nightmarish eight months in charge of Glentoran, the 43-year-old is in high spirits as he has made the leap to be a head coach in charge of Soccer Universities, a pre-professional coaching and education programme based in Florida that hopes to unearth the next Messi or Ronaldo.
“Matt (Driver) is in charge of the programme and has been asking me for quite a while to come onboard. This time it felt like perfect timing,” Feeney said.
Feeney’s new venture is an ambitious one. Over the coming months, they will be travelling to Europe and Asia with the best of their talent to play in exhibition matches to showcase what their players can offer professional sides.
So, what persuaded the former Leeds United man to leave the professional dugouts for the tutorial role with 17-23 year olds?
“I think trust has a lot to do with my decisions now in life. I know Matt and some of the other coaches well and I know I can trust them to be upfront and honest with me.
“I had a learning experience at Glentoran, I think it’s always important to learn and I actually enjoyed my time there to a degree.
“I respect Glentoran and would have liked to have stayed longer. I got them to a first final in three years and felt the club was progressing, but it wasn’t to be.”
Feeney will now have to worry more about the alligators on the nearby golf courses than the barbs being thrown from the fans, but he is happy to be riding the crest of a huge footballing wave in the US at present.
With the World Cup being partially hosted there in two years’ time, and the new Club World Cup taking place there next summer, it is the place to be for all those in the know, and these opportunities are not lost on the Belfast man.
“What’s happening here over the next few years is phenomenal,” he said.
“The boys that are coming to Soccer Universities come from all over the world to be a part of this camp and they know that there is no better place and time to showcase their talents.
“While most of them eye a career in Europe as the ultimate, there are many connections we have across the MLS who may also offer them a professional experience, and there will also be an influx of scouts, coaches etc. here between now and 2026.”
The ex-Linfield manager is excited about the potential of working with players who are still finding their path towards professionalism and being part of a growth project, but he likes what he sees so far.
“The players here are very honest,” he added.
“They will run for you all day long without complaining and have a superb work ethic that makes them very easy to coach
“The technical ability does fluctuate amongst the squad, but that is where I come in to coach them to be better players on and off the ball, so I know in a few years some of them will be household names.”
Another youngster not on the programme but very much in the coach’s thoughts is Feeney’s son George.
The 16-year-old joined Spurs in the summer after making a breakthrough last season at the Glens with his father.
“Yeah, George is doing great,” the proud dad said.
“He is involved with the U-18 setup and that is the one thing I miss, not being able to get to his games.”
There has been quite a lot of noise in the media over the last couple of weeks over Feeney Jr’s decision to nominate himself for Wales – the country of his birth - rather than Northern Ireland, but that is one conversation Warren is happy to stay out of.
“He was away with the Welsh underage side this week.
“Listen, I am staying well back from that conversation and letting him make his own decisions and stand by them.
“As long as he’s happy then so am I.”
