I've been feeling my age recently when the phone has been ringing. Many of the former team-mates and opponents I speak to are all now making their way in management, coaching and scouting.

It is very much a new generation of people in those positions and I think it is also going to lead to a change in the way these jobs are approached, and the way the modern footballer is handled.

One person I spoke to last week was Neale McDermott, who played at Carlisle from 2006-8. He is high up in the recruitment set-up at Sunderland, having initially gone there as a scout with a brief to get young, overseas players in.

Sunderland's relegation from the Premier League, and budget cuts, have had an impact but Neale's work has impressed the right people at the club and he has a senior role now under the main head of recruitment.

Another strength is that, because at 32 he is not too much older than many current players, he can still have that connection and understanding with them when he meets them. He has a lot in common with them and so is a useful point of contact in that respect.

He is making a name in that area, as are other players I've known over the years. Darren Holloway, who had a loan spell at Carlisle, is doing very well as assistant manager at Blyth alongside Alun Armstrong.

They caught the eye of Darlington and could have gone there, but very astutely wanted to look closer at the financial situation first. They realised that what they were being offered might only last until the end of the season and the long-term, with the budget, wasn't going to be as clear.

They decided to stay put and they are punching massively above their weight in National League North. Also in that division, Paul Thirlwell is making progress at Harrogate Town, where he is assistant manager.

They had a massive game against title favourites Salford at the weekend, going down 2-1 to their big-spending rivals, but Harrogate, who have a decent budget themselves and also full-time, are firmly in the mix.

From speaking to Paul, it's clear his life is very much devoted to football and making the most of what he is trying to achieve for himself and for Harrogate, whilst climbing the ladder.

North of the border, you have Peter Murphy doing well at Annan and running things as thoroughly as you'd expect. Murph is even being pro-active on the business side, coming into workplaces and getting sponsorship deals where the knock-on effect can be to help him with his playing budget.

At clubs at that sort of level, whether in England or Scotland, you have to think outside the box so get ahead. There often isn't a chairman there to throw cash at everything. Murph will know that, and so will Matt Jansen as he makes progress as manager at Chorley. He is someone else you can see making a name for himself in the years to come.

What is pleasing is that these people are doing a proper apprenticeship in coaching, at levels lower than they played. I'm sure, when they progress to bigger clubs, they will look back on these times and say it's what made them.

There is nothing like learning on the job, often in tough circumstances. Jansen was a class above as a player, even when he briefly came to train with Carlisle under Neil McDonald, but it is in the National League North where he has grabbed that first managerial chance.

Didn't Eddie Howe, too, take the Bournemouth job when they were points adrift in League Two? He's now managing them in the Premier League and while yes, they have had serious financial backing in recent years, Howe has also earned his reputation through the quality of his work.

The only reason he has got this far is because he was given the opportunity in difficult times, and made the absolute most of it.

Many of the names I've mentioned, and a lot of others of the same generation, are going to make headway in the game partly because of the way players have changed over the years.

Their mentality is certainly different. The older-school, YTS upbringing is largely a thing of the past and the modern player will more often have come through an academy where there aren't the same demands to do those old jobs behind the scenes.

A younger manager who has seen this transition might be better placed to understand the mind of a younger player. It is a fine art but you probably have to allow for a little more arrogance now, the side that social media encourages, the personal Instagram and Twitter accounts that see players get more constant adulation directly given to them, but also makes them more sensitive to criticism.

Understanding that psychological aspect, and knowing how to get the best out of such a player, can make all the difference in management today.

Not every ex-player wants to take the route mentioned. Ryan Giggs recently gave an interview where he suggested he wouldn't be suited to managing in the lower leagues, because all his experience has been at much higher levels.

He received some criticism for those comments from some people who think he sounded snobbish, but I actually applaud his honesty. I can see where he's coming from in suggesting players in, say, non-league, might not accept he understands their level and everything that comes with it.

It is very different to the absolute elite. With all his life having been at Manchester United, he could come to a club like Carlisle and struggle to understand why the team aren't travelling two days before some away games, for example. Even lower down, he might find it hard to get his head around the challenges faced by the non-league player coming into training straight off a back shift.

He knows the Premier League mentality a lot better than he does the lower-level player. The question, of course, is whether a person like that can just expect to walk into a job at the top. That is getting harder these days, so it will be interesting to see what Giggs makes of the Wales job now.

I do think though, on balance, someone like Jansen could turn out to be the complete package because he has been willing to gain that sort of rounded experience. He has played at the top, done his apprenticeship lower down, learned along the way and he is the sort of person you can see being a good fit for a League One or Two job in the not too distant future, even the Championship in due course.

The usual merry-go-round of experienced managers keeps turning, but they can't go on forever. Eventually it will be time for the new breed to step up, and before too long you will have Matt Jansen, Rory Delap, Michael Bridges, Paul Thirlwell, Peter Murphy and their like taking jobs at higher levels and, in many cases I'm sure, making a success of them.

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Why Carlisle should be in a hurry for pace in transfer window

With eight days left in the transfer window, managers and clubs up and down the country who haven't already got their main targets in will be approaching panic stations.

There will be a good number in that position and by this time many will be moving onto their third and fourth targets as they try to persuade players to get on board for the rest of the season.

As a manager, you hope the player you want has been an unused substitute, or out of the squad, in the most recent weekend and that tips the balance in favour of getting first-team football with you.

This period also tells you a lot about a player's character - do they want to stay at a club where they have little chance of being involved, picking up their money as they do, or they want to get out there and play football?

You hope, before the deadline, Keith Curle is able to find another James Brown or two - someone who really wants to make a name for himself by coming out of his club, travelling the length of the country if needs be, to play.

I do feel Carlisle need a couple of key signings. Curle has been clear that he has a number of targets that he's working on, even as he has missed out on a couple.

If you asked me what I think they need more than anything, one word comes to mind: pace. Whether on the wing or up front, from the start or the bench, some explosive pace that can get the team up the pitch, and put opponents on the back foot, could make a real difference.

Chris Lumsdon's column is sponsored by Safe & Sound Security Solutions (UK) Limited. Enquiries@safeandsoundsecurityltd.co.uk, Tel 01228 543800, www.safeandsoundsecurityltd.co.uk