Casper leaving Salford to become Burnley Academy Manager
Written by
Simon Austin
November 6, 2024
Chris Casper is leaving Salford City after eight years to become the new Academy Director at Burnley.
The 49-year-old joined Salford in January 2017 as Sporting Director and went on to become Director of Football Development.
In an interview with TGG in July, Casper told us that this role involved overseeing “the whole footballing aspect of the club, from performance, services, sports science, the football philosophy, recruitment of players and staff, the Academy, the women’s team – basically trying to deliver the owners’ vision and football philosophy.”
Casper, who was a graduate of Manchester United’s famous Class of ’92, already has strong links with Burnley. His father, Frank, played as a forward for the club from 1967 to 1976 and then managed them from 1989 to 1991.
Furthermore, his son, Charlie, is a goalkeeper with Burnley’s Under-21s.
The Clarets advertised on TGG for a new Academy Manager in July, after David Longwell resigned from his position. Longwell had joined from Shrewsbury Town in August 2023. Head of Coaching Ash Higgins was put in temporary charge of the football side of the Academy but has now departed to become a Youth Coach Developer with the Football Association.
Category Two Burnley placed 54th in TGG’s Academy Productivity Rankings for 2023/24 – up five places from 59th in 2021/22.
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