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25/03/24

Carolan & Robinson join Rowett at Birmingham City

DAVE CAROLAN and Paul Robinson have returned to Birmingham City as Gary Rowett’s assistants.

Rowett returned to the club as interim manager last week after Tony Mowbray was granted extended medical leave. Mowbray succeeded Wayne Rooney in January, but a month later temporarily stepped down to undergo medical treatment, with a view to returning in six to eight weeks.

He will now be absent until the start of pre-season, paving the way for Rowett to return to the club he was in charge of between 2014 and 2016.

Carolan is a Head of Performance with more than 25 years of experience and has worked with Rowett at Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall.

Robinson represented the club for the final six years of his 736-game pro career and went on to coach their U23s and U18s before becoming Rowett’s First-Team Coach at Millwall.

The move also reunites Rowett and Carolan with Joe Carnall, Birmingham’s Chief Scout. The trio worked together previously at Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall and appeared together on the very first episode of the TGG Podcast.

LISTEN: Gary Rowett, Dave Carolan & Joe Carnall on the TGG Podcast

19/03/24

Morling appointed Hong Kong Technical Director

FORMER Brighton Academy Manager John Morling has been appointed Technical Director of the Football Association of Hong Kong.

Morling was Brighton's Academy Manager from 2012 to 2022. In his final season, the club were top in the Premier League for club-trained minutes for homegrown players, according to the CIES. The Pro Licence holder went on to become a consultant with the Football Association of Ireland.

In a statement, the Hong Kong FA said: “With a proven track record in player development and football management, Mr Morling’s expertise will be invaluable to our Association as we continue to elevate football standards in Hong Kong.

“We are confident that his contributions will further strengthen our programmes and initiatives.”

READ MORE: John Morling - Ferguson, Moran and different approaches to development

11/03/24

Southampton's Thompson appointed Recruitment Data Scientist by Leicester

PETER THOMPSON has been appointed Recruitment Data Scientist at Leicester City following three years at Southampton.

Thompson joined Saints as Player Insights Data Scientist in January 2021 and stayed on after a restructure by new owners Sport Republic in December 2022.

Announcing his move on Twitter, Thompson said: “I am extremely grateful for my time at Southampton FC and Sport Republic. I am now looking forward to contributing to Leicester City's success.”

05/02/24

Birmingham's Brayne appointed Individual Development Coach at Charlton

JAMES BRAYNE is leaving Birmingham City after eight years to become Individual Development Coach at Charlton Athletic.

Brayne joined the Blues in May 2016 as U11s and U12s Lead and went on to work with the 13s and 14s before being named Head of Coach and Player Development (15s to 21s) in May 2021.

At Charlton, he will work with the first team, Under-18s and U21s. Jon De Souza previously held the Individual Development role at the League One club before leaving in October 2022 to become the Premier League's Coaching Pathways Manager.

Brayne’s last day at Birmingham is Thursday (March 7th) and he officially starts with Charlton on Monday (March 11th).

29/02/24

Head Physio exits Nottingham Forest

JON FEARN has left his role as Nottingham Forest Head Physio after seven months.

Fearn joined the club in July, having previously spent 13 years as a first-team physio at Chelsea. He left that position in January 2023 following a medical revamp ordered by new owners Clearlake Capital.

This also led to the departures of Medical Director Paco Biosca, Head Physio Thierry Laurent and physio Jason Palmer.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest staff profiles

28/02/24

Head of Performance leaves Blackburn Rovers

BLACKBURN ROVERS Head of Performance Ben Rosen has left the club after 20 months.

The former Southampton, Malmo, Denmark and FC Copenhagen practitioner joined Rovers with Head Coach Jon Dahl Tomasson in June 2022. Following the Dane’s departure earlier this month Rosen has departed, along with Assistant Head Coach Remy Reijnierse.

Blackburn are currently advertising for a new Head of Performance. You can read the job ad HERE.

First-Team Performance Coach Karl Hodges, who has been with the club since November 2022, has stepped up to interim Head of Performance until a permanent appointment is made.

New Head Coach John Eustace has the following assistants:

  • Matt Gardiner (Assistant): Worked alongside Eustace at QPR and Birmingham City.
  • Keith Downing (Assistant): Also worked with Eustace at Birmingham. Won U19 Euros with England in 2017.
  • Damien Johnson (First-Team Coach): Promoted from U23s boss under Tony Mowbray and remained under Tomasson and now Eustace.
  • David Lowe (First-Team Coach): Former Head of Youth Coaching who was also part of Mowbray’s staff.
  • Ben Benson (Goalkeeping Coach): At Rovers since summer of 2017 and promoted to first team under Mowbray.

25/02/24

Rios returns to Arsenal as Talent Scout

FORMER Watford Head of Analysis and Talent ID Miguel Rios has returned to Arsenal as a Talent Scout.

Rios was an Academy scout and coach for the Gunners from 2004 to 2010 and is credited with having brought an eight-year-old Bukayo Saka to the club after spotting him playing for his local team.

Rios has also coached at youth level for Barcelona and was European scout for Wolves from September 2017 to February 2019. In addition, he was Senior Scout at Fulham from September 2015 to August 2017, worked in Academy and first-team recruitment at Brentford (2010 to 2015) and was Head of Football at Opta Pro (2019 to 2020) before joining the Hornets for three years.

23/02/24

Hayes joins Sunderland as First-Team Coach

ANTHONY HAYES has been named First-Team Coach at Sunderland following the appointment of Mike Dodds as Interim Head Coach this week.

Dodds once again stepped into the breach after Michael Beale was sacked as Head Coach after just 12 games. The rest of Dodds staff will be Assistant Michael Proctor and Goalkeeper Coach Alessandro Barcherini.

Hayes has joined until the end of the 2023/24 season, while U21s Lead Graeme Murty will also support the first team for the remainder of the campaign.

Hayes previously spent seven years at Charlton, working in their Academy from 2016 and becoming Under-21 Lead Coach in 2021. A year later he joined the first-team staff and was Caretaker Manager for three games in late 2022 following the departure of Ben Garner.

Mike Dodds said: “I’ve known Anthony for some time and we are delighted to welcome him to our coaching team. This is a position we wanted to add and following the changes made earlier this week, our requirements shifted a little as did the timeframe.

“Anthony immediately made himself available and like Graeme Murty, he will bring added value to our coaching and match preparations. He’s also been an Interim Head Coach before, which will not only support me but also our players as we adapt and move forward together in the coming weeks and months.”

Dodds was also Caretaker Head Coach in December, after Tony Mowbray was sacked.

22/02/24

Brown leaves PNE after a decade to lead Man Utd Women's U21s

MELISSA BROWN has left Preston North End after almost a decade to become Head Coach of Manchester United Women’s Under-21s.

Brown joined PNE as Head of Health and Wellbeing before turning to coaching. In January 2021, she was promoted from Academy coach to Foundation Phase Lead.

Writing on Twitter, she said: “This week I start my new chapter as U21s Head Coach at Manchester United Women. Excited for the journey ahead at this fantastic club with a group of very talented players and staff.”

Brown was one of our '27 women leading the way in men’s football' earlier this year.

18/02/24

Data Scientist Sisman leaves Man City to join Zelus

DATA SCIENTIST John-Mark Sisman has left Manchester City after three-and-a-half years to join Zelus Analytics.

Sisman joined City Football Group in July 2020 and his original title was Performance Physicist, although this subsequently changed to Data Scientist.

At the time, Brian Prestidge, CFG’s Director of Football Intelligence, said: "JM’s creativity, technical expertise, football knowledge and personal behaviours will be a fantastic addition to CFG for years to come.”

CFG had advertised for a “curious and imaginative physicist with a passion for deriving actionable insights from football data.”

Zelus Analytics was co-founded by Luke Bornn, the former Director of Analytics with Roma and the Sacramento Kings. Appearing on Episode #30 of the TGG Podcast, Bornn explained that Zelus was “an insights company working across sports” with RedBird (owners of AC Milan and Toulouse FC) as their “primary financial partner.”

READ & LISTEN: Luke Bornn on the TGG Podcast

14/02/24

Blackburn's Booth named GK Performance Coach at Norwich

JOSH BOOTH has left Blackburn Rovers after five-and-a-half years to take up the new role of Goalkeeper Physical Performance Coach at Norwich City.

Booth was Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach for Rovers' Academy. Specialist goalkeeper performance coaches are becoming more of a feature in elite football.

READ MORE: Norwich City staff profiles

05/02/24

Southampton name new U18 and U21 Assistants

CHRIS ALLEN has been appointed as Under-21s Assistant at Southampton, with former player Andrew Surman returning to the club as number two for the U18s.

Allen replaces Lee Skyrme, who left in November after three years and has since been named assistant for the Norway Women’s national team. The U21s Head Coach is Adam Asghar, who joined from Sunderland last September.

Allen made more than 250 senior appearances as a player and went on to become first-team coach at Oxford United, Professional Development Phase Lead at Coventry City and manager of North Leigh in the Southern League Premier South (from November 2022 to May 2023).

Surman is a Southampton Academy graduate who went on to make almost 150 senior appearances for the club. He will assist Calum McFarlane, who joined Saints from Manchester City at the start of the season.

Meanwhile, Olly Lancashire has been appointed Head of Player Strategy at the club. Lancashire was previously B Team Player-Coach, a role he had held since July 2021.

Now he will oversee the pathway for “specifically-targeted’ players between the U15s and U21s and work within a new Player Pathway department.

01/02/24

Goalkeeping Coach Sparkes joins QPR to end of season

ANDREW SPARKES has joined QPR as their Goalkeeping Coach, replacing Gavin Ward on a short-term basis.

Ward is undergoing knee surgery this week, which will prevent him being able to fulfil his duties for the remainder of the season.

Sparkes was made redundant by Reading at the start of January as part of wider cost-cutting measures. The Welshman began his coaching career with Swansea City before spending seven years in the MLS with New York Red Bulls.

Following a year with FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, he returned to the Liberty Stadium for six years as Head of Academy Goalkeeping, before spending four years as First-Team Goalkeeping Coach at Southampton and then half a season at Reading.

30/01/24

Watford's Stafford named U21s Sports Scientist at Arsenal

LEE STAFFORD has left Watford after seven-and-a-half years to become Under-21s Sports Scientist at Arsenal.

Stafford was an intern with the Hornets before becoming their U21s Sports Scientist in July 2016. Two years later he became First Team Sports Scientist.

He spoke to TGG in 2021 about how he used GPS at Vicarage Road.

READ MORE: Watford staff profiles

29/01/24

Huddersfield sack Moore and quartet of assistants

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN have sacked assistants Jamie Smith, Jimmy Shan, Simon Ireland and Adriano Basso along with manager Darren Moore.

The 49-year-old, who led Sheffield Wednesday to promotion to the Championship last season, was sacked as Terriers boss today after just four months in charge. The team are winless in their last six and sit 21st in the second tier, just three points off the relegation zone.

Also sacked are: Assistant Jamie Smith, First Team Coach Jimmy Shan, Set Piece Coach Simon Ireland and Goalkeeper Coach Adriano Basso.

Academy Manager Jon Worthington has been put in caretaker charge of the side until a permanent appointment is made.

READ MORE: Huddersfield staff profiles

22/01/24

Thomas promoted to Head of Coaching by Gillingham

EBUN THOMAS has been appointed Head of Coaching at Gillingham.

Thomas joined the Gills from Portsmouth in July 2022 as Youth Development Phase Lead.

Now he has been promoted to Head of Coaching at the Category Three side, who finished an impressive 41st in the most recent edition of our Academy Productivity Rankings.

22/01/24

Beare promoted to U21s Performance Analyst by Leicester City

HANNAH BEARE has been promoted to Under-21s Performance Analyst by Leicester City.

Beare joined the Foxes in September 2019 as Youth Development Phase Analyst and moved to work with their U18s two years later.

The 21s role was advertised externally (including on TGG), with a remit of "developing and delivering leading-edge performance and development analysis for players and staff," and Beare appointed at the end of the recruitment process.

Harbir Rana has been promoted from U15s/16s Performance Analyst to take on Beare's former role of U18s Analyst. Rana has worked for the club since September 2021.

The U15s/16s Performance Analyst role is currently being advertised and is open for applications.

18/01/24

Gray promoted to Head of Academy Operations by Blackburn Rovers

PAUL GRAY has been promoted to the new role of Head of Academy Operations by Blackburn Rovers.

Gray joined the Championship side in August 2021 as Senior Foundation Phase coach, having previously worked for FK BODØ/GLIMT in Norway (when Rovers Director of Football Gregg Broughton was Academy Manager there).

He has also been Lead Foundation Phase Coach at Preston, Blackpool and Accrington.

17/01/24

Shergill promoted to Head of Innovation and Performance Science by Villa

AMAN SINGH SHERGILL has been promoted to the new role of Head of Innovation and Performance Science by Aston Villa.

Shergill joined Villa as Performance Scientist in November 2019 following four-and-a-half years with near rivals Birmingham City. There have been a number of changes in Villa’s Performance and Medical departments since the arrival of Unai Emery in October 2022.

Former international sprinter Arnaldo Abrantes arrived from Nottingham Forest last summer to become Head of Medical Services. He replaced long-serving Head of Sport Medicine and Science Ricky Shamji, who had been with the club for more than eight years.

Ali James was appointed Lead Physio in November 2022 after almost a decade with Wasps Rugby, while Steve Polley was promoted to Lead Rehab Physio a month later.

Australian Jeremy Oliver, who has been with Villa since November 2018, is in overall charge of the departments as Performance Director.

READ MORE: Aston Villa staff profiles

12/01/24

Taylor succeeds Craddock as Bolton B Team Head Coach

BOLTON have named AFC Fylde Assistant Andy Taylor as their new B Team Head Coach.

Taylor replaces Matty Craddock, who was promoted to First Team Coach earlier this season. Andrew Tutte will continue as B Team Assistant.

Sporting Director Chris Markham said: “Andy has all the credentials we were looking for and is an important appointment at this stage of the B Team project.

“We wanted someone who is modern in their approach and who will build on the good work that goes on in the B Team office, in terms of coaching, analysis and sport science.

“There's been a lot of progress within the B Team, through the likes of Luke Matheson’s elevation to the first-team squad, the number of players out on loan at good levels and some of the results we’ve had this season against Category One Academy teams, which shows what a key project it is for us.”

Taylor, 37, played more than 350 games in a career which included spells with Sheffield United, Blackpool, Walsall and Tranmere Rovers.

12/01/24

Kavanagh replaces Kavanagh as Birmingham City Performance Coach

COLM KAVANAGH has been promoted to First Team Physical Performance Coach at Birmingham City.

He replaces Andy Kavanagh (no relation), who left the club in December after four-and-a-half years to become Head of Sports Science at Bristol City.

Colm Kavanagh joined Birmingham City’s Academy in May 2021 and has worked with their Professional Development Phase for the last two years. This will be his first full-time role with the first team.

10/01/24

Walsh joins Bolton as Head of Sport Science

FORMER Stoke, Sunderland and Northern Ireland Sport Scientist Paul Walsh has been appointed Head of Sport Science at Bolton.

Manager Ian Evatt said: “We felt like we needed some help and support in that area. The lads that are in there, and Matt Pelham (strength and conditioning coach) in particular, have done an incredible job.

“Paul has worked internationally, as well as for Sunderland and for Stoke, and is vastly experienced and we think it’s a really important hire.

“We feel that to get to the next level - and get the team to the next level - we need that support, experience and expertise to help us go again.”

Walsh, 35, worked with manager Michael O’Neill at Northern Ireland (2013 to 2020) and Stoke City (2020 to 2023). He also had six years at Sunderland (2014 to 2020), which included three seasons in the Premier League.

He continued with a part-time role as Head of Sports Science with the Republic of Ireland Under-21 side since leaving Stoke last summer.

09/01/24

Krause joins Bristol City as Coach-Analyst

JAMES KRAUSE has joined Liam Manning at Bristol City as Coach-Analyst.

The duo worked together at Oxford United and originally met at Ipswich Town's Academy, where Manning was a coach and Krause an analyst.

After that, Krause worked for Arsenal for eight years and became their Lead First-Team Analyst.

Manning has also taken Assistant Chris Hogg with him from Oxford United to Bristol City. The pair worked together at MK Dons and first met at Ipswich Town's Academy too.

04/01/24

O'Keefe joins Manchester City as Rehab Performance Coach

FORMER Everton Sports Scientist Jason O'Keefe has joined Manchester City in the new role of Rehab Performance Coach.

O’Keefe left Everton before Christmas after almost a decade’s service. He had joined the Toffees as an intern in July 2014 and worked for their Academy before moving up to the first team in January 2022.

Writing on LinkedIn, O’Keefe said: "Today marks the start of a new chapter as I begin my role as Rehab Performance Coach at Manchester City Football Club.

“An area I’m hugely passionate about and working for one of the biggest clubs in the world, it’s safe to say I’m excited and I can’t wait to properly get stuck into the role.”

READ MORE: Manchester City staff profiles

03/01/24

Jones and Mahoney join new-look Southampton analysis department

SOUTHAMPTON have added Lauren Jones and Lewis Mahoney to their new-look first-team analysis department.

As we reported last week, Analysis Operations Lead Adam Ridgewell has left the club after five years.

Jones has returned to the club as First Team Opposition Analyst after four months with Forest Green Rovers, where she had worked with Head Coach Dave Horseman. The duo had previously worked together at Saints, where Jones was Professional Development Phase Analyst from 2020 to 2023.

Mahoney joins from Bristol Rovers, where he was Performance Analyst for three-and-a-half years, to take up the same role at St Mary's.

READ MORE: Southampton staff profiles

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