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.”