Richard Winton explains how Govan and Africa met in Madrid

THE alliance between the young man from Govan and a middle-aged African football legend who has participated in three world cups is an unlikely one. Indeed, James Hynds' friendship with Thomas Nkono, the esteemed Cameroonian custodian, stretches the concept of the goalkeepers' union to its most extreme.

Yet such surrealism has become second nature to the 24-year-old during a remarkable few years in which he has combined coaching amateur Scottish footballers with schooling Real Madrid's young goalkeeping prospects.

The disparity between those challenges could scarcely be more pronounced, yet to hear Hynds speak, it seems like the most obvious synergy in the world. During the football season, he would coach Harmony Row amateurs then, in the summer months, he would travel to Spain to work in tandem with Nkono - a player so feted that Gianluigi Buffon named his son after him - and Didier Ovono, the Gabon international goalkeeper, who is now employed by Dinamo Tbilisi.

Perhaps his understatement is borne of incredulity, for his tale is beyond even the imaginative fecundity of the Brothers Grimm.

Just four years ago, Hynds was in a quandary. A promising football career, which started at pro-youth level with Dundee United, had dissipated as injuries and a subsequent loss of confidence eroded his hopes. Spells with St Patrick's Athletic and Maryhill Juniors had failed to reignite his passion and he had lost interest in the game.

"I actually gave up trying to do anything aged 20," Hynds admits with no trace of regret. "I had a few bad injuries, first to my wrist then I broke a leg, and after that I was trying to get back fit, but my confidence was low. I came back and played a few matches but I was nowhere near the standard I used to be so I took the decision myself to focus more on coaching."

That side of the game was one Hynds had first got involved in at the age of 16, going along to Motherwell on a Friday evening to work under Stevie Woods. His self-belief was gradually burnished by coaching kids under the astute tutelage of the former Fir Park goalkeeper, and it was that experience which ultimately offered him a path to follow.

"Apart from my family, football was always my life so I couldn't see myself doing anything outside it once I stopped playing," he admits. "Pretty soon I was doing 20-30 hours of voluntary work for the SFA every week, coaching kids and that kind of thing, and it was the natural progression to do my badges."

Now Hynds works full-time with the governing body in schools and is also a community enforcement officer dealing with antisocial behaviour, as well as helping with coaching at Broomhill Sports Club. The demands on his time are compounded by the arrival of daughter Sky, with fiancée Pamela, and her birth meant that this summer Hynds has not travelled to Madrid.

He first made the trip in 2005 after a chance encounter with a fellow pupil during a SFA coaching badge session. The Spaniard, on the course in Bathgate for reasons best known to himself, introduced himself as Ferney Aglaro and enquired whether Hynds would be interested in coming over to Spain.

"I didn't want anything to do with it," he admits. "He didn't tell me who it was for or anything else about it but he said to come over for a 10-day course and just treat it like a holiday. I eventually agreed and next thing I know I'm being taken into this soccer school in Madrid full of kids in Real kits. I realised then something wasn't quite right."

Aglaro, it transpired, helped run the schools for the Spanish club and acted as Hynds' translator during a difficult first few days. Unable to speak the language and surrounded by coaches who doubted his abilities, the Scot had barriers to overcome but eventually proved himself to such an extent that he was invited back for the summer and was even involved briefly with Castilla, the club's B team in the Segunda Division.

"It was a great experience, working with guys like Tommy Nkono, who's been to world cups, and Didier Ovono, as well as Luiz Lopez, the Castilla goalkeeping coach, but Stevie Woods is still my biggest influence," Hynds insists. "You learn that some things they do better over there and some not so good and while I've taken a lot from it I'm now trying to escape the stigma and build my own reputation as James Hynds, goalkeeping coach."

To that end, he has moved on from Harmony Row after two treble-winning seasons, to take up a position at Glasgow junior side St Anthony's. Hynds, along with the other new coaches, plans to revitalise the club he watched as a boy and try and move it up through the divisions, perhaps even achieving recognition in the senior ranks for his efforts.

He believes that aim will take years to achieve but, given the hitherto peculiar nature of his coaching career, who's to say Hynds cannot add another chapter to his surreal story over the next few seasons?