Englishman Benstead leaves Belgian national team after six years
Written by
Training Ground Guru
January 31, 2025
Englishman Luke Benstead has left his role as Assistant and Head of National Youth Teams for Belgium, ending his six-year association with the Federation.
Benstead, who was our guest on Episode #9 of the TGG Podcast, started working with Belgium as an Analyst at the 2018 World Cup, on secondment from Manchester United. That stint went so well that he was offered a full-time role as Head of Performance Analysis and Innovation, which he took up in September 2018.
He was then promoted to Assistant and Head of National Youth Teams, making him one of the most senior English staff working outside of the UK. Following the sacking of Domenico Tedesco as Head Coach earlier this month, Benstead has also now departed.
In an interview with TGG in June 2019, Benstead outlined his career journey, which started with “picking up cones for the Under-14s at Tranmere Rovers.”
He added: “I was studying science and football at Liverpool John Moores University and an internship came up at Everton in their sports science department. I did quite well and the club needed another analyst, so I got an opportunity to move up the ranks.
“When Roberto Martinez came into the club (in June 2013) I made that natural progression up to the first team because a lot of staff had gone with David Moyes to Manchester United. I was with Everton’s first team for three years in total before going to Manchester United.
“My time at Old Trafford was another great experience. Jose Mourinho was the manager and Paul Brand was Head of Analysis. Paul is a great line manager and leader. We had five of us in total in that department.
“Then, in the summer of 2018, I went to the World Cup in Russia with Belgium (with Martinez as Head Coach) and it just went really well. It was never my plan to go full time with them but things went so well, and I forged so many strong relationships, that I just couldn’t turn down the chance to join them full time.”
Former Napoli boss Rudi Garcia has succeeded Tedesco as Belgium Head Coach.
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