Southampton confirm new under-21s coach in four academy appointments

the AcAndy Goldie, ademy’s new director, has announced his first appointments since taking over in the summer, following the confirmation of a number of departures from the setup this season.

Ricky King will join the club as head of coaching on October 1, having previously worked in coaching, methodology, and coach education roles at the New York Red Bulls, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Swansea City.

He is regarded with assisting in the development of players like as Tyler Adams and Alphonso Davies.

In keeping with the new academy approach, King will now lead the coaching department in the delivery of a new world-leading coaching curriculum from under-9s to under-21s.

Following the departures of Dave Horseman and Louis Carey in the summer, Adam Asghar will take over as under-21s head coach, with the Scotsman joining after spent the previous year as under-18s coach at Sunderland.

Asghar led the Black Cats to second place in the Northern Section of the Under-18s Premier League last season and has known Goldie since their days together at the Scottish FA and Dundee United.

Asghar began as a Head of Professional Performance before moving on to become a first-team coach, where sixteen academy graduates helped the club secure European football for the first time in ten years.

Asghar will take over in the coming weeks, with the rest of the new-look under-21s team to be announced after his official arrival.

Calum McFarlane arrives as head coach of the under-18s after three seasons in various coaching positions at Manchester City, and prior coaching jobs at Kinetic Academy, Troms, Crystal Palace, and Fulham.

McFarlane possesses

Finally, Jack Chapman has been named as head of academy recruitment, having previously worked at Swansea City for the past five years.

Chapman, who has previously held coaching and recruitment roles at New York Red Bulls and Cardiff City, began his time at Swansea as a recruitment coordinator before being promoted to head of academy recruitment in 2019; he has also begun his position at Saints after arriving in August.

“To replicate the success we have historically had as an academy, it is critical we not only attract the very best players and staff but also retain and help them maximize their full potential,” Goldie said of the new arrivals.

“The appointments of Ricky, Adam, Calum, and Jack are the most recent.”