Another new jock at the top. City have announced the appointment of former Celtic defender Willie McStay as the club's new Academy Head of Coaching. The 50-year-old UEFA Pro Licenced coach arrives in the senior role to oversee the players' coaching programme and the coach development programme. With the club striving for Category Two status in the new Academy system, Willie's role will be pivotal to ensuring City's young players of the future will receive a world-leading coaching programme. Academy director Tim Kirk said: "We needed someone with experience and a proven track record of nurturing youth players into the starting eleven on a Saturday first-team matchday. This has been a missing link in the past. "There is a lot of potential in the young players coming through and hopefully now they will be given the guidance to make that final breakthrough. "We're undergoing drastic changes at the moment to be ready for the new categorization audit in a few months' time. I'd like to welcome Willie on board. He is a key component of the new team we are building." Willie said: "I'm obviously delighted about the role, especially at such a positive time for the club with so many changes taking place. "I can't wait to get started. The prospects to really build something for the future of the club and assist the manager by bringing through players for the first team. "From the top down I've been very impressed with everything I've seen so far and I'm relishing the challenge ahead." Manager Derek McInnes says: "We've brought Willie into the Academy set-up and I'm sure his input will be pivotal. He brings with him bags of experience and knowledge from working in various countries. "We're keen that he bridges the gap between Academy and youth football and the first team. It's something he did very well during his time at Celtic, and that certainly wasn't easy. "He comes with a great reputation and track record and is someone I've worked with before at St Johnstone, when he did some reports for me. I look forward to working with him again." A long-standing Celtic defender during the 1980s, Willie also enjoyed permanent spells with Huddersfield United, Notts County, Kilmarnock and Sligo Rovers. He moved into player-management with his final club Sligo, leading the Irish club to an historic treble in 1993/94. After two seasons he moved back to Celtic, joining the Scottish Premier League giants for 15 years as youth team boss and then reserve manager. In 2009 he moved out to Hungary to take charge of Ujpest FC but returned to Celtic Park a year later to return as reserve team boss. His most recent roles came as Ross County manager and assistant at Stockport County. He also boasts international coaching experience during his time with Scotland at under-17, under-18 and under-19 level. Meanwhile, City have also recruited former midfielder Alex Russell (youth development phase coach and under-14s manager) and ex-FA regional skills manager Marc Canham (lead foundation phase coach) into the Academy. "Alex has been working with us for the past 12 months on a part-time basis," added Tim. "We're delighted to be able to offer a full-time role now working with our young players. His experience and great relationship with young people will be a great asset to us. "Marc is a very exciting appointment. It is very difficult to find coaches with the enthusiasm and expertise to work in what is essentially the most important phase during a player's development. In being part of the FA, Marc has had the best education in how to get the best out of our eight-to-11 year olds.
"Alex has been working with us for the past 12 months on a part-time basis," added Tim. "We're delighted to be able to offer a full-time role now working with our young players. His experience and great relationship with young people will be a great asset to us." I didn't know Alex Russell was involved at our youth academy? Thats interesting for me, My son was lucky enough to play in the recent legends game at the Memorial and Alex Russell played in that game. During that game it really stood out for me that Alex Russell was the first Pro to get passes out to my boy and 'trust him' on the ball', the other pros appeared at first reluctant. (natural I suppose) that had the 2 fold effect of giving my son 'an early touch for confidence' and others seeing he wasn't going to trip over his own feet and he soon settled in and had a fairly decent game. (Thanks to alex) just a little thing that only I would ever have noticed due to the circumstances but the sentence above "His experience and great relationship with young people will be a great asset to us." stand out. My gut feeling is he will do very well in this role and I wish him every success.
All very well Banksy (and pleased for your boy i'm sure), but will Russell OR McStay be capable of coaching a young team of kids into Premiership players ? Dont forget, we are not a buying club so our youth academy means everything. I would rather SL had spent a size-able sum on a continental style academy with imported coaches or an oversee-er to give us a chance of producing world class players. As it is, I see this as a false economy.
My boys got nothing to do with it, it was just an observation of an experience I have had with Alex Russell that led me to believe he thinks things through a little bit and might be good at managing kids SL is already spending sizeable sums and how will we know what they can do until they are given a go. our own fans writing the bloke off before he has even started the job Imported coaches with communication problems that cant settle in the area, etc? What defines a continental style academy?
I know this is on two threads but took this from wiki Man City have Andy Welch Man United Warren Joyce and Paul McGuiness Arsenals youth coach was Steve Bould. Tottenham Clive Allen and Alex Inglethorpe Newcastle Dave Watson Chelsea Dermott Drummy and Adrian Viveash Top six teams in the prem all British in charge of the youth teams?
