Brian Barry-Murphy has confirmed Craig Samson will join Cardiff City's coaching staff, ending the club's long-running search for a new goalkeeping coach. The 42-year-old replaces Gavin Ward, who departed at the end of last season, and will reunite with Barry-Murphy after working together at Rochdale during the 2019/20 season.
Samson's appointment was confirmed ahead of Saturday's trip to Blackburn Rovers, with Barry-Murphy revealing the necessary arrangements are now in place. "We've finally made some progress and everything's in order, I think," he said. Current Cardiff coach Kevin Gibbins was also part of the coaching staff at Spotland at the time.
Reunion with former boss
Barry-Murphy first became aware of Samson during his time at Sunderland under Jack Ross, before their paths crossed at Rochdale. The Cardiff boss believes Samson's understanding of his footballing philosophy will make him a valuable addition. "He has a deeper understanding of the way that we want to play but also of what the opponents can do," Barry-Murphy said. "So he'll add a real extra dimension to our preparation and game understanding of the opponents and ourselves."
Samson's remit will extend beyond work with Cardiff's goalkeepers, with Barry-Murphy highlighting his expertise in set pieces. The former Scotland youth international has developed a data-led approach to analysing attacking and defensive set plays, something the Cardiff boss believes can prove particularly useful. "He has a really detailed skill set in terms of understanding the data-led approach to set pieces, so he can help us enormously there once he gets settled in," he added.
End of a protracted search
Samson's arrival brings an end to a lengthy search for Ward's replacement. Cardiff had initially identified Manchester City academy coach Imanol Etxeberria as their preferred candidate, but the move fell through because of visa issues. Barry-Murphy subsequently confirmed the club would use the October international break to make the appointment.
Samson began his playing career with Kilmarnock before representing Dundee United, Ross County, Dundee, Ayr United, St Mirren and Motherwell. He helped St Mirren win the Scottish League Cup in 2013 and played every league game during their 2017/18 Scottish Championship title-winning campaign. He retired in November 2018 after being offered a coaching position at Sunderland, then moved to Rochdale before returning to Scottish football with Hibernian and Aberdeen. Samson was appointed Hibs' goalkeeping coach in 2024 and remained at Easter Road until September this year.
