Bulletin Board
26/07/24
Dawson leaves Newcastle after a decade to join Leicester City
First Team Development Coach Ben Dawson has left Newcastle United after a decade to become First Team Coach at Leicester City.
Dawson joined Newcastle’s Academy as a Professional Development Coach in 2014 and also served as U21s Lead Coach, Academy Head of Coaching and First Team Development Coach.
Newcastle United Academy Director Steve Harper said: "Ben has been an important part of the Academy here for over a decade and has played a key role in the development of many players.
"I'm delighted that Ben has the opportunity to work in the first team at Leicester City. This development is testament to his work ethic and to the excellent coach development work at our Academy.”
Dawson is the fifth addition to Steve Cooper’s backroom team at Leicester, joining Assistant Alan Tate, Set Piece Coach Andrew Hughes, Goalkeeper Coach Danny Alcock and Coach-Analyst Steve Rands.
24/07/24
McCartan joins FC Midtylland as Lead Analyst
Liam McCartan has been appointed Lead Analyst with Danish champions FC Midtjylland - two months after joining Bristol Rovers as their Head of Performance Analysis.
McCartan joined Rovers from Swindon Town, where he was Coach-Analyst, at the start of July.
Writing on LinkedIn, he said: “After a very busy off-season preparing to start a new role with Bristol Rovers as Head Analyst, an opportunity to join FC Midtjylland as Lead Analyst was too big an opportunity to turn down.
“I am proud and excited to join this incredible club. After only one week having sampled the incredible atmosphere within the club, the Danish Superliga & the Champions League group qualifier I am looking forward to embracing a new country and helping the club to success.”
Midtjylland are the pioneers of specialist set piece coaching and analysis in European football. McCartan is also Lead Performance Analyst for Ireland’s Under-21s.
21/07/24
Haycock appointed Head Physio at Leicester City
Leicester City have hired Crystal Palace’s James Haycock as their new Head Physio.
Haycock has worked for the Eagles in the same role for the last two-and-a-half years, as well as for Newcastle United, Arsenal, Huddersfield and Hartlepool.
He is also still Senior Physio for the Wales men’s national team, a role he has held for almost seven years.
Writing on LinkedIn, Haycock said: “After a really enjoyable period at Crystal Palace, I am delighted to have joined Leicester City as Head Physiotherapist.
“Looking forward to playing my part within the team as we aim for a successful season on and off the pitch.”
Leicester’s medical department has undergone a revamp this summer, following the departures of Physios Jonny King and Ed Richmond earlier this year, to Newcastle United and Chelsea respectively.
Phil Pomeroy arrived from Burnley in June, while Niall Stevens joined earlier this month, having worked for Nottingham Forest for the last three years.
19/07/24
Former Bayern Munich Head of Academy Scouting joins Tottenham
Former Bayern Munich Head of Academy Scouting Max Legath has joined Tottenham as First Team Scout.
The German worked for Bayern from 2015 to 2021 and progressed to become their Head of Scouting for the Under-9s to 23s. After this, he was Head of Scouting for FC Basel in Switzerland for two-and-a-half years.
As TGG reported in May, Tottenham are trying to develop a world-class scouting and insights department under Technical Director Johan Lange. As a result, they advertised for four roles on TGG - Lead Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Recruitment Analyst and Lead Scouting Insights Analyst - as well as the First Team Scout position.
More appointments are imminent.
17/07/24
Heitinga becomes fifth addition to Slot's backroom staff at Liverpool
Former Holland international John Heitinga has become fifth addition to Arne Slot’s backroom staff at Liverpool, two months after leaving West Ham.
The 40-year-old Pro Licence holder was First Team Coach under David Moyes at West Ham last season, having previously coached at Ajax from 2016 to 2023. He led the Ajax the Under-19s for four years and then the reserves before stepping up to first-team duties for the second half of 2022/23.
Heitinga won 87 caps for Holland and played for Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham and Hertha BSC before hanging up his boots in 2016.
The other four additions to Slot’s backroom staff have been Individual Development Coach Aaron Briggs, Assistant Sipke Hulshoff, Lead Performance Coach Ruben Peeters and Head of First Team Goalkeeping Fabian Otte.
17/07/24
Reddington joins AFC Wimbledon as First Team Coach
Former Crystal Palace coach Dave Reddington has joined Johnnie Jackson’s staff at AFC Wimbledon at First Team Coach.
Reddington served under Roy Hodgson at Palace and has spent the last three seasons as Assistant at AGF in the Danish Superliga, reaching the Danish Cup final and finishing fifth last season.
He said: “I am delighted to join Johnnie’s staff at AFC Wimbledon, and having met my fellow coaches and the players I am excited about the prospect of helping the club continue its progression.
“This is a unique football club where we can really build something.”
Reddington replaces Rob Tuvey, who has left the League Two club after 12 years. Tuvey joined as a coach with the AFC Wimbledon Foundation in 2012 and progressed through the Academy and then joined the first team in 2021.
Tuvey said: “It has been an honour to represent the club across the Academy and first team. I am immensely proud of the players who have made the progression from the Academy to professional footballers and for the part I have played in their journeys.
“I hope my dedication and passion have added to the legacy at AFC Wimbledon, and I will fondly remember all my experiences shared with players and fans alike.”
12/07/24
Parker takes just one assistant to Burnley
Scott Parker has broken with convention by taking only one assistant with him to Burnley.
That person is Jonathan Hill, the Coach-Analyst he has worked with at Tottenham, Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge.
Assistant Matt Wells and Goalkeeper Coach Rob Burch, with whom Parker worked at Tottenham U18s, Fulham and Bournemouth, are now on Ange Postecoglou's staff at Tottenham, where they have remained.
Parker said: “I’ll probably revert back to the staff that were here at the football club. I’ve come to work with these staff.
“I’ve brought one member of staff with me in Jonathan Hill who has been with me since Spurs Under-18s, Fulham and Bournemouth.
“The rest are here to work with and we will try and be successful together.”
The staff he inherits are Assistant Henrik Jensen, who arrived at the club last month; First Team Coach Mike Jackson, Set Piece Coach Eliot Tybebo and Transition Goalkeeper Coach Connor King.
08/07/24
Stevens appointed First Team Physio at Leicester
Niall Stevens has been appointed First Team Physio at Leicester City.
He joins from Nottingham Forest, where he has worked for the last three years as a Sports Therapist and Physio.
07/07/24
Tottenham Head of Sport Science Gardiner joins Birmingham City
Nathan Gardiner has left his role as Head of Sport Science at Tottenham to become Chris Davies’s assistant at Birmingham City.
The 47-year-old returned to Tottenham in March, having previously served the club for 14 years before joining Fulham in October 2020.
He is the second appointment to Davies’s First Team staff at Birmingham, following the arrival of Leicester City’s Ben Petty as assistant last month.
Davies, who was Ange Postecoglou’s assistant at Tottenham last season, said: “Nathan has extensive experience in fitness and conditioning, having worked at the top level of English football for the last 18 years, 14 of which were at Spurs, where I worked with him.
“As well as a deep knowledge of loading and periodisation, Nathan is an excellent communicator amongst both players and staff.
“He is a hard-working and reliable individual, who has made a positive contribution in every club he has been at.”
05/07/24
Betsy appointed Individual Development Coach at QPR
Former England Under-18s Head Coach Kevin Betsy has been appointed Individual Development Coach at QPR.
The role was advertised on TGG, with a remit of managing, leading and co-ordinating Individual Development Plans, as well as leading first team player development coaching.
Betsy had a 17-year playing career and went on to coach several England age group teams during a five-year spell at St George’s Park, before becoming Arsenal U23s Head Coach, Crawley Town manager and assistant at Wigan Athletic.
He joins QPR from Cambridge United, where he was assistant last season.
QPR CEO Christian Nourry said: “With the creation of this new specialised role within the first team to support Martí (Cifuentes, manager) and Xavi (Calm, assistant), it was critical that we identified a world-class developer of talent with a proven track record.
“Kevin has worked with some of the biggest talents in English football.”
Betsy added: “I am absolutely delighted to take on this role, it is a great time to be joining the club. While I will be a first-team coach at QPR, my main focus will be working with individual players and helping them to develop – that’s the younger players and the senior players.
“If I can add 1% to a player’s development, then that’s fantastic.”
04/07/24
Boateng and Carr join Coventry as First Team Coaches
George Boateng and Rhys Carr have been appointed as First-Team Coaches at Coventry City.
Boateng played 57 games and scored seven goals for the club in 1998/99 after a move from Feyenoord. He also had spells with Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Hull City and Nottingham Forest, and represented the Netherlands at international level.
Boateng has coaching experience with the Academies at Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa (where he was Under-18s and U23s coach) and has been Assistant with Ghana since May 2022.
Welshman Carr is a UEFA A Licence holder who joins the club from Wolves, where he was Individual Development Coach for two years, and has also coached at Sheffield United, Bristol City and Cardiff City. He also has experience as Head of Fitness and Conditioning at Bristol City.
Manager Mark Robins said: “They both impressed us during the extensive recruitment process for this important role and each brings key skills to the football department.
“Their experience and knowledge will greatly aid our work to maximise the performance and preparation of our team, both in advance of, and on matchdays, and we are excited to begin working with them.”
Performance Director Claire-Marie Roberts added: “George & Rhys were consistently the strongest candidates throughout our extensive selection process. Their respective skills will bring a new dimension to our experienced multi-disciplinary team as we work to continually enhance the development and preparation of our first-team players.”
03/07/24
Rusk leaves England U19s to become Southampton U21s boss
England Under-19s Head Coach Simon Rusk has been appointed as the new Under-21s boss at Southampton.
He replaces Adam Asghar, who left at the end of last season to become U18s Lead at Celtic. Rusk took over the England U19s in June 2022 and also did Opposition Analysis for the senior side during the Qatar World Cup.
He has extensive experience in both Academy and senior coaching, having been Head of Youth at Crawley; U18s, U23s and First Team Coach at Brighton; Stockport County manager; and Dundee Assistant Manager.
Academy Director Andy Goldie commented: “The appointment of Simon highlights the importance placed of the final stage of the Academy journey for our most exciting young talent.
"After reviewing our performance as an Academy last season, there was a clear profile we required for this role and it was evident that Simon possessed the qualities and experience to help deliver on our objectives.
Rusk added: "I'm delighted to join Southampton - it's an exciting step to come to a club with such an established reputation for developing top talent.
"I'm looking forward to getting started with the group here, having spoken with Andy our visions are shared in wanting to push the Academy forward again both on and off the pitch."
02/07/24
Sparkes appointed Head of Goalkeeping at QPR
Andrew Sparkes has been appointed as QPR’s first Head of Goalkeeping, leading on the development of goalkeepers and goalkeeper coaching staff across the first team, development squad, youth team and Women’s team.
Sparkes joined QPR on a short-term basis as Goalkeeping Coach in January after a short period as Assistant Manager to Ruben Selles at Reading. He has also worked for Swansea City, New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and Southampton.
CEO Christian Nourry said: "The creation of this role is an important step in achieving methodological alignment across our goalkeeping department, for both the women's and men's teams.
“I am delighted that Andrew will continue to work with us going forward. He is a highly-respected professional in this area who wants to further hone his ideas to ensure that we become hyper-productive in the goalkeeping part of the football club."
01/07/24
Cathro appointed manager of Estoril
Ian Cathro has taken his first managerial job in seven years by becoming manager of Estoril in Portugal.
The 37-year-old Scot was in charge of Hearts for seven months in 2016/17 before becoming Nuno Espírito Santo’s assistant at Wolves, Tottenham and Al-Ittihad.
Now he has taken over from Vasco Seabra as manager of Lisbon side Estoril. Cathro has worked in Portugal before - as assistant to Santo at Rio Ave form 2012 to 2014.
29/06/24
Rathbone appointed Head of Medical at Accrington
Mick Rathbone has been appointed First Team Head of Medical at Accrington Stanley - having already retired twice.
The 65-year-old has previously worked as a physio for Preston, Everton, Wigan, Nottingham Forest and Oldham, as well as writing two books about his life in football.
He said: "I am very luck to be back, after retiring a couple of times. I feel I am the luckiest man in the world, I have been in football nearly 50 years.
“I left Forest around six years ago and retired for the first time, but there are no physios about, and I keep getting sucked back into it and it's great.
"I worked here (Accrington) for a month about two years ago and there was a lot of attractiveness about coming here - four of the lads that were here in the youth team when I came two years ago are now in the first team.”
READ MORE: Mick Rathbone ~ Strapping ankles, hearts and minds
28/06/24
Riza appointed Cardiff City First Team Coach
Omer Riza has been appointed First Team Coach under Erol Bulut at Cardiff City.
Bulut, 49, signed a two-year contract extension with the Bluebirds this month following his first season in charge of the club.
Riza left Watford, where he had worked for almost six years, in March. The Pro Licence coach had been U16s and U23s Lead before being promoted to first-team duties under Valerien Ismael in June 2023.
At Cardiff he joins Bulut’s existing staff of Nikolaos Karydas (Assistant), Mario Galinovic (Goalkeeper Coach) and Tom Ramasut (First Team Coach). The squad returned to their base at the Vale Resort earlier this week for the start of pre-season training.
19/06/24
Coles leaves role as Southampton U18s Keeper Coach
David Coles has left his role as Under-18s Goalkeeper Coach at Southampton after half a season.
This was Coles' second stint with the club, following his spell as Head of Goalkeeping for the Saints from 1997 to 2005. He has also worked for clubs including Portsmouth, West Ham and England during a long coaching career.
Now he will be doing a stint with the PFA, working with their out-of-contract keepers. There have been a number of departures from Southampton's Academy since the end of the season.
Assistant Academy Director Natasha Patel has been appointed Head of Analytics for US Soccer; U21s Head Coach Adam Asghar has joined Celtic; and Head of Academy Recruitment Jack Chapman has moved to Tottenham.
READ MORE: David Coles ~ The past, present and future of England goalkeeping
18/06/24
Margetson signs new contract with Swansea
England Goalkeeper Coach Martyn Margetson has agreed a new three-year contract with Swansea City.
The 52-year-old rejoined the Swans as Head of Goalkeeping last summer, having previously spent two years with them between 2019 and 2021.
Margetson first joined England in August 2016, when Sam Allardyce was manager, and remained under Gareth Southgate. He is currently with them at Euro 2024 in Germany - his fourth major tournament with the team.
At club level, he has worked for West Ham, Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Everton (with England number one Jordan Pickford) and now Swansea.
He will continue to combine his ongoing England duties with his position in Luke Williams’ coaching team at the club.
Williams said: "I am delighted Marge has signed a new contract and will remain with Swansea City. The quality of Marge's work as a coach over a number of years - at club and international level - speaks for itself.”
17/06/24
Mawene leaves Fleetwood to become Burnley Performance Coach
Youl Mawene has left his role as Head of Sport Science at Fleetwood Town after three years to become a Performance Coach at Burnley.
Mawene, a former player for clubs including Preston and Derby, returned to Fleetwood in September 2021, having previously worked for the club for eight years as a player and fitness coach. In between he was a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Salford.
The Clarets have undergone a major restructuring behind the scenes since the arrival of David Rhodes as Head of Medicine, Performance and Innovation in September 2022.
Last week we reported that he had appointed Josh Jeffery as Head Physio, replacing Phil Pomeroy, while there have been a number of other arrivals over the last two years.
Writing on LinkedIn, Rhodes said: "Our focus at Burnley was to implement a structure that created one human performance department, removing the separation of medical and science.
"For us, providing optimal performance support to athletes can only be achieved when these domains blend, collaborate and work closely together. This was a key priority in our short and medium-term strategy."
11/06/24
Gallagher exits role as Stoke First-Team Coach
First-team coach Paul Gallagher is leaving Stoke City after a season back at the club.
Gallagher was brought back to Stoke last summer from Preston by then-manager Alex Neil. He then took over as caretaker manager when Neil was sacked in December before the appointment of Steven Schumacher.
Stoke are now expected to appoint a replacement.
07/06/24
Head Physio leaves Burnley after almost 14 years
Head Physio Phil Pomeroy has left Burnley after almost 14 years to join Leicester City.
Pomeroy joined the Clarets in December 2010 as an Academy Physio. He was promoted to first-team duties under Sean Dyche in May 2017 and was promoted to Head Physio under Vincent Kompany in June 2022 after the long-serving Ally Beattie left for Aston Villa.
The move to Leicester reunites Pomeroy with Simon Morris. Leicester’s Head of Medicine worked for the Clarets for 12-and-a-half years before moving to the East Midlands in June 2023.
Josh Jeffery has replaced Pomeroy as Burnley Head Physio. He previously worked for Everton for seven years, first in their Academy and then as First Team Physio.
Burnley are looking for a new Head Coach following the departure of Kompany to Bayern Munich. Craig Bellamy, formerly Kompany’s Assistant, has been appointed acting Head Coach until a permanent replacement is appointed.
04/06/24
Bloom returns to Millwall as Head of Performance
Laurence Bloom has returned to Millwall as Head of Performance after two years with Cambridge United.
Bloom previously held the role at The Den for six years before joining Cambridge in June 2022.
The move reunites him with Lions boss Neil Harris, with whom he worked at Millwall from 2016 to 2019. Harris returned to the club in February this year and comfortably kept them in the Championship, winning their final five games of the season.
03/06/24
Mahoney appointment Assistant Head of Recruitment at Huddersfield
Adam Mahoney has been appointed Assistant Head of Recruitment at Huddersfield Town.
He joins from Bristol Rovers, where he has been Head of Data and Analysis for the last four years.
Writing on LinkedIn, Mahoney said: “Delighted to announce that I will be joining Huddersfield Town and looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Huddersfield’s Head of Recruitment is Lee Maybury who joined in September 2023 from Swansea City, where he was Chief Scout.
20/05/24
Buhler leaves Norwich with Wagner
Only one member of staff has left Norwich City with sacked manager David Wagner: his long-time assistant Christoph Buhler.
Wagner was sacked following the 4-0 play-off semi-final second leg defeat by Leeds United last Thursday. He had been in charge of the club since January 2023.
Buhler joined the Canaries at the same time, having also worked with Wagner at TSG Weinheim, 1899 Hoffenheim, Borussia Dortmund B, Huddersfield Town, FC Schalke 04 and BSC Young Boys.
The rest of the backroom staff have remained in place, including:
- Narcis Pelach (First-Team Coach): Joined from Huddersfield Town in March 2023. Had worked for the Terriers since August 2020 under Carlos Corberán, Danny Schofield, Mark Fotheringham and Neil Warnock.
- Paul Clements (Goalkeeper Coach): Joined in July 2023. Had worked under Wagner - and former Sporting Director Stuart Webber - for the Terriers.
- Andrew Hughes (First-Team Coach): Had also worked under Wagner and Webber at Huddersfield before leaving at the end of 2018/19. Went on to become U23s manager at Sheffield United, First-Team Coach at Sheffield Wednesday and then Player Loan Manager at Norwich in July 2021. Moved on to First-Team Coach when Wagner was appointed in January 2023.
11/05/24
Head of Medical exits Stoke City
Head of Medical Nick Meace has exited Stoke City after three-and-a-half years.
Meace joined the Potters in November 2020 as Head Physio and was promoted to Head of Medical in January 2023.
He had previously been Head of Medical at Wigan Athletic. Writing on LinkedIn, Meace said: “Today marks the start of a new chapter for myself. I’m excited to see what opportunities are ahead.
“For now, I’m spending some quality time with my family. I am open to embark on new challenges as I look to progress my career.”
10/05/24
Unsworth departs Manchester United after 16 years
Academy coach Lee Unsworth has left Manchester United after 16 years’ service.
Unsworth, who played as a defender for North West clubs including Bury and Crewe, joined United as a coach in April 2008.
He went on to work with teams ranging from the Under-9s to U16s and has most recently been coaching the Youth Development Phase.
Writing on LinkedIn, Unsworth said: “My time at the club has been a profound journey filled with learning and growth. I've had the privilege of working with incredible talent and have learned immensely.
“I am thankful for the opportunities to develop my skills and contribute to such a storied institution. As I turn this page, I'm excited to embark on new projects aligning with my holistic athlete development and education values.”
02/05/24
Cleverley confirms Watford assistants
New Head Coach Tom Cleverley has confirmed that Armand Kavaja and Damon Lathrope will be his assistants at Watford.
Cleverley was named permanent Head Coach last week after seven games in interim charge. Now Kavaja - who had been his assistant with the Under-18s - and Lathrope - who had been Watford Women's Head Coach - have stepped up to permanent roles too.
The duo had assisted the former Manchester United midfielder during his interim spell.
In addition, Michael Johnson has been promoted from First Team Analyst to Head of Analysis, with Chris Douglas, who joined in January from Reading, as First-Team Analyst.
Watford have had 11 Head Coaches since 2018.
17/04/24
Southampton's Jones named Head of Analysis at Exeter City
Southampton’s Lauren Jones has been appointed Head of Performance Analysis at Exeter City.
Jones has been First Team Opposition Analyst at Saints for the last five months. This was her second spell with the club, as she was Performance Analyst for the Professional Development Phase for three-and-a-half years to September 2023.
In between, Jones had a short spell as First Team Performance Analyst at Forest Green Rovers, when former Southampton B Team Head Coach Dave Horseman became boss there.
Jones had a secondment at Exeter, from Southampton, from February to May 2023.
16/04/24
Cosgrave named Performance Director by Anderlecht
DAVE COSGRAVE has been appointed Performance Director at Anderlecht in Belgium after two years at Orlando City in the MLS.
The Irishman has previously worked for Liverpool, Tottenham and Fulham in the Premier League and was Head of Medical and then Head of Performance during seven years at FC Copenhagen in Denmark.
12/04/24
Southampton's Torrance named Head of Recruitment at Como 1907
Ian Torrance has left Southampton after 13 years to become Head of Recruitment at Como 1907 in Serie B.
Torrance joined Saints in 2011 as a Scouting and Recruitment Analyst and went on to become Lead International Scouting Co-ordinator in July 2020.
He said: “I am so pleased to be joining Como 1907 and to be part of one of the most exciting projects in European football. From my time at Southampton FC, I’ve honed my skills in player identification and recruitment strategy and believe in creating a full 360 view of players.
“I’ve built a vast network within the football industry and am committed to bringing my expertise to Como 1907. Having seen the progression of the club and met the staff, I am excited to work with the current and very talented scouting group and to contribute the the clubs success and our ambitious goals.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, who is part of the ownership group at the Italian club, added: “We are delighted to have Ian join the family. His international experience, gained in one of the biggest leagues in the world, will be important for Como and the ambitious growth path we are on.”
03/04/24
Moreno joins Liverpool as Opposition Analyst
GIBRALTARIAN Jansen Moreno has joined Liverpool as Opposition Analyst.
For the last three years Moreno has been Head of Elite Youth Development for the Gibraltar Football Association.
He was born and raised in the territory before attending Liverpool John Moores University from 2008. Moreno was Head of Performance Analysis at Huddersfield Town and has also worked as an analyst at Norwich City and Brighton.
Liverpool’s other Opposition Analyst is James French. Greg Mathieson left at the end of last year after eight years to join the Qatar national team with Carlos Queiroz.
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.
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.”
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.
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