Reading Head of Academy Player Development joins Arsenal
Goater had been with Reading for almost 11 years
Written by Simon Austin — March 19, 2019
READING Head of Academy Player Development Lewis Goater has left the club after almost 11 years to join Arsenal.
Goater, who will work full time with the Under-9s coach and be reunited with former Reading Academy Manager Lee Herron, who is now Football Operations Manager for the Gunners.
Arsenal Academy coaches
- U23s: Freddie Ljungberg; assistant: Ryan Garry
- U18s: Ken Gillard (interim); assistant: Greg Lincoln
- U16s: Trevor Bumstead
- U15s: Dan Micciche
- U14s: Simon Copley
- U12s: Adam Birchall
- U11s: Josh Smith
- U10s: Paul Barry
- U9s: Lewis Goater
- Head of Goalkeeping: Andy Woodman
- U15-U18 goalkeeping: Chris Terpcou
- U9-U14 goalkeeping: Seb Barton
Arsenal have put together a formidable group of Academy coaches, with former MK Dons manager Dan Micciche taking charge of the U15s and ex Hull City Head of Academy Coaching Adam Pilling taking the U13s in the last six months.
Former Gunners star Freddie Ljungberg (left), who was assistant manager at Wolfsburg in 2017, is U23s boss, while Andy Woodman, who has worked at first-team level with Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace, is Head of Goalkeeping.
Herron, who had been at Reading for 17 years, was announced as Football Operations Manager at Arsenal's Academy last January. He works closely with Gunners Academy Manager Per Mertesacker.
Goater, who has a background in Coerver coaching, joined Reading in July 2008 as Lead Foundation Phase Coach.
He was promoted to Head of Academy Player Development in July 2018. Alex Nichols will continue to work part-time with Arsenal’s U9s too.
