Everton have confirmed two new academy appointments, with Matthew Taylor and Tom Curtis taking on roles at Finch Farm as part of a series of changes to the club's development structure.
New coaching appointments
Matthew Taylor, who played in the Premier League with Portsmouth, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers, has been appointed as the club's new Under-18s head coach. The 44-year-old former Walsall and Shrewsbury Town manager helped bring through the likes of Troy Parrott while U18s head coach at Tottenham Hotspur. He will be assisted by former Everton academy player Tom Kearney, who was formerly the assistant head of academy coaching.
Tom Curtis, 52, moves across from Manchester United to take on the roles of professional development phase senior coach and head of training. Curtis made more than 500 appearances as a player, including lengthy stints with Chesterfield and Mansfield Town. At Manchester United, he held roles that included head of player development for the U13s and U16s age groups, and earlier this year he oversaw some U21s matches as caretaker manager. Other post-playing career roles have seen him work as a national coach for the Football Association and as technical director for the FA of Antigua and Barbuda.
Restructure background
The changes follow a review led by Everton technical director Nick Cox and supported by academy director Dean Rastrick and academy consultant Neil Dewsnip, all of whom have joined the Blues across the past year. Curtis, who holds a UEFA Pro Licence, will assist Dave Hughes, this week announced as the new head of academy player development. His job will include overseeing the U21s as part of changes that have seen the departure of former U21s manager Paul Tait.
Hughes, who played in the Premier League with Aston Villa, has previously enjoyed high profile academy roles at Aston Villa, Wales and Manchester United. Goalkeeping coaching across the academy will be led by Alan Fettis.
Other appointments
Other formerly announced changes include plans for ex-Blues striker Nick Chadwick, who returned to Everton last season, to support the U21s after his promotion to the role of PDP senior coach and loans development manager. Ben Dickson has been promoted to head of academy recruitment and Carl Darlington has been appointed head of academy coach development.
On the changes, Cox said: “We are confident these appointments will help us create an excellent learning environment that is supportive and challenging for both our U21s and U18s players, as we look to strengthen that pathway into our men’s team. Having worked closely with Dean and Neil, who has provided invaluable expertise as part of the process, I am in no doubt that the new roles and structure can fulfil our wider ambitions across the academy of supporting young people to reach their full potential. We have assembled an outstanding group of coaching staff who are passionate about developing young people; the group possess a blend of skills and experiences that will complement each other and give us the best chance of unlocking the potential of young players.”
