'A lot of good people are flying our flag'
From Tony Pulis to Thierry Henry, and from Roberto Martinez to Mikel Arteta.
A succession of star names have rolled off the production line at Wales' football manager factory.
Sheffield United's Chris Wilder - one of the Premier League's managers of the season - Nice boss Patrick Vieira and Arsenal interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg are among numerous others who have come through the Football Association of Wales Trust's coach education programme, which has a new man at the helm.
David Adams was appointed FAW technical director in October, succeeding Osian Roberts, and he plans to keep churning out bosses who are ready for every challenge top-level management brings.
"There are a lot of good people who are flying our flag and having success in their roles," Adams tells BBC Sport Wales.
"That success is great for the programme - it's testament to all the work that has gone on.
"Hopefully we can keep on evolving to enable people to find our programme stimulating and to give them something to apply in the real world, which is the most important thing."
The calibre of candidate the FAW programme attracts says much about its reputation.
So why have so many footballing heavyweights come to Wales to do their coaching badges?
Thierry Henry (L) worked under fellow FAW Trust coaching graduate and Belgium boss Roberto Martinez (R)
"Our system is very much about giving people a set of skills which hopefully, when they go into the ever-changing world of football, they can adapt to different situations," says Adams.
"We only take small numbers on the pro licence course and there is a lot of mentoring which helps them develop.
"I think the whole package around the care of each coach and allowing them autonomy to build their own ideas - as opposed to imposing a certain way - is one of the big benefits.
"People like Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira have come to Wales and had good experiences and they pass that message back into the game. Then you get the next set of people coming in."
Prospective coaches must secure B and then A licences before 18 candidates every two years take the elite pro licence course.
The likes of Wilder and Sam Ricketts, the Shrewsbury Town boss, have recently secured pro licences, with the next group starting their studies in May.
Former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, Charlton boss Lee Bowyer and ex-Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel are among those set to be enrolled.
"I think coaches now recognise the importance of education whereas in the past maybe saying you were going to do your badges was a throwaway comment," Adams adds.
"You have got to try to stay in your job for at least 12 months. A lot of managers aren't doing that in their first job and it's very hard to get a second, so the reality is you need to be well educated before you take the first step into professional football."
Welshman Adams, 40, began coaching in his early 20s after doing a sports coaching degree at Uwic, now part of Cardiff Metropolitan University.
David Adams was a left winger who played semi-professional football in what is now the Cymru Premier
After a spell as the football development officer in Merthyr Tydfil, the former semi-professional player moved to the University of Glamorgan - now the University of South Wales - and started running a football and rugby programme from a couple of Portakabins.
"We had massive success. The courses grew, they built more facilities and we ended up with the £30m facility we have now," Adams says.
As he speaks, the likes of Cahill, Swansea City sporting director Leon Britton and former Tottenham duo Matthew Etherington and Simon Davies are doing a session in the university's indoor barn as part of the A licence course.
The coaching of coaches - whether for the top level or the Welsh domestic game - is not the only aspect of Adams' new job, which became available when Roberts left for Morocco in August.
He also has a major hand in the development of Wales' youth players.
"It starts relatively young," he says. "Players like Ben Woodburn, Ethan Ampadu and David Brooks started in the regional programme at 13 or 14 and have gone through the whole player pathway."
There are also links with Wales manager Ryan Giggs' senior squad, which have been strengthened by qualification for Euro 2020.
"I have met Ryan before the last two games," Adams explains.
"There is a performance analysis team at the FAW Trust I oversee who do a lot of opposition analysis for Ryan and his team.
"We have Italy, Switzerland and Turkey (in the group), but there will also be people looking at the next stage. If we get through we may play two or three teams - we need to have information on them ready to go because the turnaround between games is quick."
Manchester United winger Daniel James is one of a number of players David Adams helped nurture during his spell at Swansea City
Adams knows the likes of Daniel James, Joe Rodon and Connor Roberts well having worked with them during his three-year stint at Swansea, where he was named head of academy coaching in 2014.
"I went there and built a methodology from the under-nines to under-23s," he says. "It's a nice story to see some of those players playing for Wales. I am glad to have been a part of it."
When Swansea manager Garry Monk - another FAW coaching graduate - was sacked in 2015, Adams took charge of the first team for a spell alongside Alan Curtis.
"We did 12 games in the Premier League - we had some decent results," Adams adds.
He also worked with Swansea's next permanent boss, Francesco Guidolin, before brief stints at Everton - as academy head of coaching - and on Monk's staff when he was Middlesbrough manager.
Adams was brought back into the FAW Trust set-up by ex-Wales assistant boss Roberts before landing the top job.
"You have a lot of responsibility for a lot of important parts of Welsh football," Adams says.
The making of managers is key, as is the development of Wales' players of the future.
On top of that, Adams and his analysts are looking to do their bit ahead of the European Championship.
"There is plenty to think about," Adams says, "but I am enjoying the challenge."
