FOUR members of Everton backroom staff have lost their jobs following the sacking of manager Rafa Benitez yesterday.

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.

MIDDLESBROUGH Head of Football Kieran Scott says his job is to “control what the future looks like” for the club.

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

CATHERINE HESFORD has left the Football Association after five-and-a-half years to become Manchester City’s first Head of Talent Science.

DEREK GEARY has been promoted to Sheffield United Academy Manager following a reshuffle of roles at the Championship club.

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.

CHELSEA invited the entire Chesterfield Academy to their Cobham training base on Saturday before the sides' FA Cup third round tie. A group of 237 players and 30 coaches trained with Chelsea’s Academy teams, played small-sided games with them and had lunch before watching the tie at Stamford Bridge.

FORMER Ipswich Town manager Paul Cook says he faced “daily challenges” with the performance staff brought in by Chief Executive Mark Ashton.

AUTHOR and UCFB course leader Carl Wild explains why it's so important to develop decision-making in players during training sessions - and provides some examples of how to do it.

JACK STERN has joined Brighton as their new Assistant Goalkeeping Coach. He replaces Casper Ankergren, who left the Seagulls after 11 years as player and coach in October to become Head of Goalkeeping at Danish side Brondby.

RUTH TITTERTON has left Sheffield United after four years to join Manchester City Women.