The Friedkin Group have launched a search for a new role at Everton that will be specifically tasked with helping players from the academy make it as first team stars.
The club is hiring an ‘Individual Player Development Lead Coach’ whose job will be to work with players at a key stage in their development to get them ready for first team football. The club says it wants somebody with “a clear understanding of how to structure and develop elite professional footballers” and is seeking a coach who is doing a similar role at another club.
The role, which wants a UEFA A Licensed coach to take on the job, will be tasked with supporting players in the key ‘Professional Development Phase’. The phrase is used for players who are moving out of the academy-style u18s setup and into the u21 and first team picture and it has been an area where Everton have struggled in recent years.
Read more: Friedkin Group urgently need to fix Farhad Moshiri’s Everton academy downgrade
Everton have been successful in bringing through Anthony Gordon and Harrison Armstrong in recent years, while Roman Dixon has also made his first team debut this season. However with talented youngster such as Braiden Graham, Martin Sherif and George Morgan making waves in the u18s and u21s, the new owners want to ensure they are being made ready for first team football.
The job advert says the new coach’s role will be: “Supporting the Club Pathway Mission to produce Academy Graduates for Everton FC and ensuring positive outcomes for all our people, you will work closely with players within the Professional Development Phase (PDP) to provide structure and coordination of activities aimed at preparing players to progress to the 1st team environment.
“As Individual Player Development Lead Coach you will devise individual development plans for players within this phase through the ‘four corners’ approach, while providing expert insight and analysis in respect to player development and the individual player’s needs. You will ensure each programme is reflective of playing and coaching philosophies of the Club, as well as being supportive of the teams playing and strategic objectives. The role will also provide support for players out on loan.”
The move is the latest addition to the Everton academy as the Friedkin Group continue to overhaul the club. Everton are also searching for a new u21s assistant manager to support Paul Tait, while an academy specialist goalkeeping coach, and scouts tasked with finding players as young as eight years old are also being hired by the club.
The Friedkin Group are named on the job listing, stating their desire to have a top class academy and pathway for players into the first team as one of the cornerstones to the club’s new philosophy.
It adds to the club’s current search for a new Head of Developing Talent to replace the outgoing Dan Micicche, a new lead recruitment role to replace Dan Purdy and a new head of football operations.
In the last 12 months the club has recruited a number of academy scout positions, as well as first team scouts covering Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, France, Belgium and Scandinavia.