Mellor happy to be coaching for RSL

Players may tease Peter Mellor for his English accent, his hip-replacement limp and his sometimes forgetful nature, but they're all endearing Mellorisms that give the Real Salt Lake assistant coach his very unique personality.

When he's in a joking mood with Mellor, RSL head coach John Ellinger likes to remind his long-time friend about how he used to refer to Landon Donovan as "Langdon" Donovan when all three of them were with the U.S. National Team Under-17 Residency Program.

Mellor takes the playful banter all in stride, because quite honestly, he loves to dish it out as well.

Mellor, 54, is at a stage in his life when he couldn't be happier, and he tries to pass that joy along to everyone he comes in contact with. Each day at practice, he attempts to shake all of his players' hands, and realistically, anyone else who happens to be at Rice-Eccles Stadium that day.

"Life's too short not to smile," said Mellor. "I try and brighten everybody's day every morning. With what people have to put up with in the world, we cannot complain. We have it made. Sometimes we lose sight of that as young players, and sometimes older professionals."

For as much soccer wisdom as there is in the mind of the former pro goalkeeper, there's equally as much blue collar experience in his hands. Raised in Manchester, England, Mellor's hardworking hands helped carve out an 18-year career in the English Premiere League; led him to Florida, where he owned and operated a professional landscaping business for over a decade, and now has him training goalies for Real Salt Lake.

And what about everything else in between? Well, RSL defender Brian Dunseth may joke that Mellor's stories could put anyone to sleep, but it's only because Mellor has so many stories to tell.

There's the story about getting nutmegged in the 1975 F.A. Cup final in Wembley Stadium while playing for Fulham.

There's the story about playing in countless "Showbiz and Commentators" charity matches with English legends like Denis Law, Ian St. John and John Motson.

There's the story about how he bought a piece property on his first visit to America, and then ultimately lived on that same property for 20 years.

There's the story about how the U.S. government tried to send him back to England, even though he'd been in the States for nearly three years and owned a legitimate soccer business in Florida.