New Oxford United boss Aaron Ramsey is preparing to raid his former club Cardiff City for academy coach Tom Hutton, WalesOnline understands. Hutton, who currently oversees Cardiff's under-18 side, is expected to join Ramsey's coaching staff at the League One club.
Ramsey's First Moves as Manager
Ramsey was confirmed as Oxford's new manager earlier this week and is now assembling his backroom team ahead of the new League One campaign. Hutton is highly regarded within Cardiff's academy and across the Welsh football pathway. The move would reunite him with Ramsey after the pair worked together during Ramsey's brief spell as Cardiff's interim manager last season.
Ramsey took charge of Cardiff for the final three matches of a campaign that ended in relegation to League One. He quickly assembled a coaching team featuring Wales coach Ryland Morgans, close friend Chris Gunter, Bluebirds legend Joe Ralls, under-21 coach Tom Bloxham, and Hutton. While relegation could not be prevented, Ramsey was impressed by those around him and is now keen to bring Hutton to Oxford.
Hutton's Career Progression
Hutton is believed to be eager to make the step into senior football on a full-time basis, and the opportunity to work alongside Ramsey at the Kassam Stadium represents a significant career progression. It is also understood Ramsey would like former Wales teammate Chris Gunter to become his assistant manager. Gunter is currently Wales Under-19 head coach and, like Hutton who is Gunter's assistant with Wales, is away at the European Under-19 Championship. That could mean Ramsey has to wait a little longer before his preferred coaching structure is fully in place.
Wales begin their tournament against Spain on Sunday, with Cardiff City trio Rob Tankiewicz, Jac Thomas, and Noah Williams all included in the squad. The competition runs until July 11.
Hutton's Long Association with Cardiff
Hutton's impending departure would represent the end of a lengthy association with Cardiff City stretching back 14 years. He first joined the club through the Cardiff City Community Foundation before progressing into academy football, where he has become one of the most respected youth coaches in Wales. Hutton also helped guide Cardiff City Women to the league title during the 2012/13 season.
His reputation has continued to grow in recent years. Hutton was selected as Cardiff's participant on the Premier League's Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Scheme in 2018 and graduated as valedictorian, achieving not only the highest mark in his year group but the highest recorded score since the programme's inception six years earlier. Only last month he was among the coaches selected to deliver sessions at the Football Association of Wales' flagship coaching conference, sharing insights on player development with fellow coaches from across the game.
Impact on Cardiff City
Should the move be finalised, Cardiff are expected to begin the process of recruiting a replacement for one of the most important roles within the academy structure. The under-18 age group is viewed as a crucial bridge between youth and senior football and currently contains a number of players who are already attracting significant attention within the club. Tankiewicz, Axel Donczew, and Paul Moreno are among the young talents tipped for bright futures, while several members of the current group have already been promoted to under-21 or first-team environments.
