NICK CHADD has left City Football Group and Manchester City after five-and-a-half years to become Head of Sport Science and Strength and Conditioning at Portuguese giants Benfica.

BRENTFORD Director of Football Phil Giles says the club could re-open their Academy in future because Brexit has forced a change of strategy.

FIND out TGG's 10 best-read articles of 2021.

MANCHESTER UNITED have topped TGG's Academy Productivity Rankings for the third straight year. Their Head of Academy, Nick Cox, says this is testament to the club's staff - and to a culture of youth development going back several decades.

CRYSTAL PALACE went from vocal critics to enthusiastic adopters of the Elite Player Performance Plan. Ryan Baldi was present for part of this journey for his book 'The Dream Factory' and explains what happened.

MARIELA NISOTAKI is the Head of Emerging Talent at Norwich City - and the only female scout on the circuit in the UK. She told us what her job involves, how she balances data with live eyes and why Norwich are an ambitious club doing things their own way.