Bulletin Board

03/10/24

Forest YDP Lead named Academy Director at Dundee United

Nottingham Forest Youth Development Phase Lead Scott Allison has joined Dundee United as their new Academy Director.

The 44-year-old has worked with Forest for the last 15 months, having previously held roles including Academy Director and Caretaker Manager at Partick Thistle and Director of Coaching at the Florida Elite Soccer Academy.

He said: “It's exciting to have joined a club with such a rich tradition in player development. My first few days have been excellent, I've really enjoyed getting to know the staff and having a look around the facilities at my disposal.

"The fundamental aim of any Academy is to develop players who will represent our first team - it's my job to look at the structures in place throughout the youth setup, identify areas for improvement and implement changes to ensure that happens as regularly as possible.

Chief Executive Luigi Capuano added: "We're delighted to welcome Scott to the club - he has attained extensive coaching experience across the United Kingdom and the United States throughout his two decades in the industry thus far and we felt this would hugely benefit our young players.

"Looking ahead, it's a pivotal time for the progression of the Academy, and we're excited to see how Scott's working practices can re-energise and refresh the setup from top to bottom.

"During the recruitment process, we outlined the requirement for the chosen candidate to understand that our main objective is ultimately to develop players who represent our first team - Scott wholeheartedly buys into that philosophy."

03/10/24

Steele appointed Head of Strategy and Football Operations at Oxford City FC

Former Forest Green Rovers Director of Football Allan Steele has been appointed Head of Strategy and Football Operations at National League North side Oxford City FC.

Steele, a UEFA Pro Licence coach, worked for Brentford for nine years, serving as Technical Lead of their B Team, before spending 11 months with Forest Green.

He has been consulting with Oxford City for the last four months and now takes on a permanent role, with a focus onbuilding and enhancing the structure both on and off the pitch.”

Oxford City is a semi-pro team based in Marston in Oxford and competes in the sixth tier of English football. The club has an emphasis on a “fan-centric, people-focused experience in all aspects of the club's operations.”

02/10/24

Robinson promoted to Head of Academy Recruitment at Southampton

Chris Robinson has been promoted to Head of Academy Recruitment at Southampton.

Robinson joined the club as Local Recruitment Manager (U6 to U9) in February 2024, having previously worked for Chelsea for 11 years, predominantly as their Head of Integration Recruitment.

At Southampton, he replaces Jack Chapman, who became Head of Academy Recruitment at Tottenham in June.

23/09/24

Whelan appointed First Team Coach at Wigan

Former Republic of Ireland player and coach Glenn Whelan has been appointed as First Team Coach at Wigan Athletic.

The 40-year-old made more than 200 Premier League appearances for Stoke City and Aston Villa, as well as playing 91 times for his national side.

The UEFA A Licence coach has since worked with the Republic of Ireland since May 2022, as part of their U16s staff and also with Interim Manager John O’Shea for the men’s senior team.

Last month he was appointed First Team Coach at fellow League One side Bristol Rovers and now joins Max Rogers, Andy Lonergan and Shadab Iftikhar on Wigan Manager Shaun Maloney’s coaching team.

“I would like to thank Shaun Maloney for providing me with the opportunity to continue my coaching career with the club,” Whelan said.

“His coaching philosophies align with my own, and I am hoping I can use my experiences - both as a player and a coach - to help the players as much as I can.”

Maloney added: “Glenn will be a brilliant addition to our backroom team, and I am delighted to have him on board. He has had some excellent experiences as both a player and a coach, including coaching the Republic of Ireland national team.

“I am really looking forward to working with Glenn, and I’m positive his arrival will be beneficial for the players and the Club’s long-term plans.”

23/09/24

Riza put in interim charge at Cardiff after Bulut sacking

Omer Riza has been put in interim charge of Cardiff City following the sacking of Manager Erol Bulut.

The Bluebirds are bottom of the Championship and have picked up just one point from six leagues games, scoring only one goal - their worst start to a season in 94 years.

They finished 12th last season, Bulut's first in charge. The 49-year-old was then rewarded with a new two-year deal in June.

Riza is a UEFA Pro Licence coach and was appointed as Cardiff's First Team Coach in June. He had previously worked for Watford for almost six years, as U16s and U23s Lead and then First Team Coach.

Nikolaos Karydas, another First Team Coach, has also left Cardiff with Bulut, which leaves Goalkeeper Coach Mario Galinovic and First Team Coach Tom Ramasut on the staff.

The Bluebirds will now look to appoint a 12th permanent manager in the 14 years that Vincent Tan has owned the club.

READ MORE: Cardiff City staff profiles

18/09/24

Huddlestone appointed Assistant at Birmingham City

Tom Huddlestone has joined Birmingham City as Assistant to Chris Davies.

The 37-year-old has been First Team Coach at Wigan Athletic for the last two months, having previously been an over-aged Player-Coach at Manchester United’s Academy.

At St Andrews he succeeds Ashley Cole, who this week took up a full-time role with England, working under interim manager Lee Carsley. Davies’ other Assistants at St Andrews are Ben Petty and Nathan Gardiner.

“Tom is an excellent coach and a great addition to our first-team staff as we look to build on our start to the 2024-25 season," said Davies.

"He has vast playing experience, which has been added to by coaching roles with both club and international teams. This will provide a different dynamic to the group and I expect the squad to feed off his knowledge."

16/09/24

Rice promoted to Coach-Analyst at Nottingham Forest

Axl Rice has been promoted to First Team Coach-Analyst at Nottingham Forest.

Rice joined the club in 2016 and has worked with the first team since September 2020 as a Tactical Analyst.

His move to Coach-Analyst follows the departure of Steve Rands to work with Steve Cooper at Leicester City. Rands had the title Head of Performance Analysis, but was heavily involved in team preparation and match day.

The hybrid role of Coach-Analyst has become more and more common in the Premier League over the last few years.

One of the pioneers was Mark Leyland, who is now with City Football Group after spells with Newcastle United and Liverpool.

Appearing on Episode #56 of the TGG Podcast, Leyland explained: "The line between analysts and coaches is becoming a little bit more blurred, which is leading to a lot of people crossing paths. It’s a process I think will continue to grow, as the skillsets are very similar."

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest staff profiles

16/09/24

Taylor appointed Set Piece Analyst at Luton Town

Finley Taylor has been appointed Set Piece Analyst at Championship side Luton Town, having spent the last year as an intern at Norwich City.

Luton lost their Set Piece Coach, Alan McCormack, in June, when he was appointed First Team Coach at Leyton Orient. They have not yet appointed a direct replacement.

READ MORE: Luton Town staff profiles


15/08/24

Garner appointed Head Coach of Right to Dream International Academy

Former Bristol Rovers, Swindon and Charlton Manager Ben Garner has been appointed Head Coach of Right to Dream’s International Academy.

He replaces former Liverpool defender Djimi Traoré, who has joined AS Monaco as Under-21s Head Coach after almost three years with Right to Dream.

The International Academy aims to bridge the gap between Right to Dream’s Academies (which are in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Denmark and the United States) and the professional game.

Graduates have included West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and Simon Adingra of Brighton.

“I hope to build on the good work that has been done, to push and to evolve the International Academy, and for us to strive to be first in class in terms of what we provide,” said Garner, 44, who also has extensive experience in English Academy football.

"The track record of the IA graduates who have gone on to play for FCN and across other clubs across the world highlights its importance in the success of Right to Dream.”

Right to Dream Group Technical Director Flemming Pedersen added: "Ben is not only a great football coach, but also a fantastic teacher. He is working with high demands but also a big involvement for both players and staff and everyone is developing a lot right now."

“He is a very experienced football coach with experience in developing players from the Academy into the Premier League. Just what our IA players need.”

EVENT: Right to Dream Founder Tom Vernon will be the keynote speaker at TGG Live 2024

14/08/24

Lloyd promoted to Head of Academy Football at Port Vale

Danny Lloyd has been promoted to Head of Academy Football at Port Vale.

Lloyd has worked for the club since August 2022, serving as Head of Coach and Player Development for the Under-14s to 18s for the last 12 months.

As Head of Academy Football he will oversee football matters and work closely with Academy Director Will Ryder.

13/08/24

Scirpoli joins Inter after two-and-a-half years with Norwich

Leonardo Scirpoli has been appointed International Youth Scout by Inter Milan after two-and-a-half years as a Senior Scout at Norwich City.

The Italian joined the Canaries in December 2021, having previously worked for Hertha Berlin, Arsenal and Cesena. He started with responsibility for the German, Italian, Austrian, Swiss and Czech markets, before becoming a Positional Scout with a focus on defenders,

Writing on LinkedIn, he said: “After two-and-half seasons, my working relationship with Norwich has come to an end. Has been an intriguing challenge that included video and live scouting of club targets alongside data analysis as part of the clubs wholesome recruitment strategy.

“I had the privilege to attend Europe’s most prestigious tournaments, maintaining and enhancing my international network of recruitment experts. I wish everyone involved with the club the best of luck moving forward.”

09/08/24

Murphy promoted to Head Physio by Arsenal

Simon Murphy has been promoted to Head Physio by Arsenal following the departure of Jordan Reece to Manchester United earlier this summer.

Murphy first joined the Gunners from Leicester City in July 2021. He came close to leaving for Nottingham Forest a year later, but decided to stay on and was promoted to Lead Performance Physio by Arsenal.

Now he has been elevated to the Head Physio position ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Reece moved to Manchester United in June after almost 12 years at Arsenal. The move reunited him with United's Head of Medical, Gary O’Driscoll, with whom he had worked throughout his time with the Gunners.

READ MORE: Arsenal staff profiles

08/08/24

Arsenal's first Football Methodology Analyst exits after three years

Kevin Balvers, Arsenal’s first Football Methodology Analyst, has left the club after three years to become Methodology Manager at PSV Eindhoven.

Balvers joined the Gunners in July 2021 from Malmo in Sweden and was responsible for identifying best practice and trends (tactical, technical, performance and recruitment) at Arsenal and other clubs. He also assisted with first-team analysis.

Balvers had also previously worked as a Video Analyst for Vitesse Arnhem and as a Performance and Innovation Methodology Analyst for Barcelona on a freelance basis.

Arsenal are not currently looking for a direct replacement for Balvers.

READ MORE: Arsenal staff profiles

31/07/24

Gross leaves Nottingham Forest to join Brighton

Head of Performance Alek Gross has left Nottingham Forest after a year to become Head of Performance and Medicine for Brighton Women and Girls.

Gross joined Forest in July 2023, having spent the previous decade with Southampton, as Head of Sports Science and First Team Fitness.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest staff profiles

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.

READ MORE: Leicester City staff profiles

24/07/24

McCartan joins FC Midtjylland 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.

READ MORE: Leicester City staff profiles

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.

READ MORE: Liverpool staff profiles

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.”

READ MORE: Dave Reddington in-depth interview

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.

READ MORE: Burnley staff profiles

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.

READ MORE: Leicester City staff profiles

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.”

READ MORE: England staff profiles

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."

READ MORE: Burnley staff profiles

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.

Read more on:

CoachingPerformance

More stories

TGG Live 2024: The report

TGG Live 2024: The report

More than 450 delegates from clubs, federations and organisations around the world gathered at St George’s Park last week for Training Ground Guru’s biggest conference to date.

Sign up to our newsletter to get all the latest news from The Guru

//