Freddie Sears completed a full circle journey back to the Academy of Football when he returned as a coach in April 2024.

Born in Hornchurch, Sears joined West Ham United at the age of eleven and scored regularly at age-group level as he graduated from the Academy.

In March 2008, aged 18, he scored the winning goal on his first-team debut in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Blackburn Rovers at the Boleyn Ground.

He would go on to make 58 senior appearances for the Irons across five seasons, while also being loaned out to Crystal Palace, Coventry City, Scunthorpe United and Colchester United.

Sears joined Colchester on a permanent basis in 2012 and scored 36 goals in 109 games for the Essex club. That led to a transfer to Championship side Ipswich Town in 2015, and he enjoyed six-and-a-half years at Portman Road, netting 34 times in 218 appearances.

The forward returned to Colchester in 2021 before embarking on a prolific career in non-league football, most notably with Chatham Town and Maldon & Tiptree.

A UEFA A Diploma and FA Talent ID Level 1 qualified coach and scout, Sears has combined his playing commitments with coaching at the Academy of Football, starting in the Youth Development Phase in 2024 and progressing to the Professional Development Phase in 2026.