Andrew Surman and Chris Allen join Academy coaching staff
Southampton Football Club is pleased to confirm new additions to the Academy coaching staff at Staplewood Campus.
In a six-month update interview, filmed before the new arrivals were in post, Academy Director Andy Goldie confirmed the coaching appointments along with some additional role changes.
With confirmation that Lee Skyrme departed the club earlier this season, Chris Allen has arrived as Under-21s Assistant Coach to join Adam Asghar's side.
Allen boasts a playing career of well over 250 appearances, including in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, and arrives at Staplewood with coaching experience at Oxford United, Coventry City, and North Leigh.
Returning to the club is academy graduate Andrew Surman, who has been appointed Under-18s Assistant Coach.
After making nearly 150 appearances for Saints, Surman comes back to the club for the first time since his departure in 2009 to join Calum McFarlane's Under-18s side.
Surman is one of a number of former Academy graduates that are part of the Academy coaching setup, joining Olly Lancashire, Under-16s Assistant Sam McQueen, recent Under-14s Assistant Coach appointment Aaron Martin, and Matt Paterson in the Player Care department.
In a slight role change, Lancashire has moved into a Head of Player Strategy role, in the new Player Pathway department, where he will oversee the pathway for specifically targeted players between the Under-15s and Under-21s.
"It all comes down to relatable experiences, when we reviewed what we had there was a clear void in the relatable experience in terms of the Academy journey." Goldie explained.
"What the [former] players have been through themselves and the advice and detail they can give our current young players is important, and we'll hopefully bring in some more that have seen our Academy at its very best."
