Kurtis Guthrie

Growing up in Jersey taught me one lesson before football ever did. Nothing is given. Every opportunity must be earned. Unlike many young footballers across England and Scotland, I grew up in an environment where opportunities to reach the professional game were extremely limited.

There were no established pathways and very little exposure. If I wanted to become a professional footballer, I had to create my own opportunity. That experience shaped every part of who I am. It developed resilience.

Discipline. Humility. Consistency. An unwavering belief that hard work and sacrifice eventually create opportunity. Those values carried me into a professional career spanning more than fifteen years, competing across England, Scotland and India while making over four hundred professional appearances.

Football has given me much more than a career. It has taught me leadership. It has taught me how elite environments operate. It has taught me that successful organisations are built through people long before they are built through tactics.

Today I combine my role as a professional footballer with coaching responsibilities at Queen of the South Under-19s while leading Project Playmaker, creating opportunities for aspiring footballers through elite coaching and professional development. I believe leadership is service. My purpose is to build environments where people consistently exceed their own expectations.

Under-19 Coach at Queen of the South (Present)

• Session planning
• Player mentoring
• Individual development
• Professional habits
• Performance environment

Founder and Director at Project Playmaker (Present)

• Coach recruitment
• Stakeholder engagement
• Developing opportunities for aspiring footballers

Professional Player at Professional Football (Present)

Professional career spanning more than fifteen years, competing across England, Scotland and India while making over four hundred professional appearances.

• 400+ professional appearances
• Leadership under pressure
• Elite performance
• Professional standards
• Mentoring teammates
• Understanding winning cultures