Manchester United have once again poached a key Manchester City staff member, as they reshuffle their Academy setup
Over the years at Manchester United, there have been several glaring issues that the Glazer family have failed to rectify in their 20 years at the club.
One of the major issues that the club have faced, made all the more apparent after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, was the club’s extremely poor recruitment.
Years of overpaying for players and handing out astronomical wages meant that when INEOS bought a stake in the club at the end of 2023, a major board reshuffle was long overdue, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe bringing in the likes of Omar Berrada as the chief executive officer and Jason Wilcox, the club’s director of football.
Berrada was the former CEO of United’s rivals, Manchester City, where Jason Wilcox was also a coach of the U18S for four years. The Reds have now appointed yet another former City staff member, appointing Darren Hughes as the head of academy football development and methodology.
Who is Darren Hughes?
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, United advertised the role at the start of February, describing the position as “fundamental to the long-term vision of United in identifying and developing the best coaches and the best young players.”
As reported by the outlet, United sources said that Darren Hughes was the clear leading candidate for the role after an extensive recruitment process.
Hughes spent 11 years at City in various roles, including Under-16 lead coach, Under-18 assistant, and Under-11 lead, before his most recent role as head of coaching in the academy, where he oversaw coaching philosophy and development.
In United’s academy, Hughes will work closely with Stephen Torpey, yet another former City coach, with the pair having worked together in the past. Torpey joined the side in 2014, working his way up their academy before becoming the head of coaching between the Under-15S and the Under-23S.
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Hughes’ track record of developing youth
Manchester United’s academy has a history of developing some of the most exciting young talents in Europe, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Paul Pogba all graduating from Carrington.
The latest crop of talent coming through the academy at the moment includes Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney’s son, Kai Rooney, and JJ Gabriel, to name a few exciting prospects.
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Many players in United’s academy will be excited by the prospect of working under Hughes, owing to his vast experience at Man City, as well as his previous job at Liverpool, where he has a great track record of developing some of the most exciting talents in the Premier League today.
Hughes helped in the development of Oscar Bobb, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer during his time at City, while the likes of Curtis Jones and Jarrell Quansah came through the Liverpool academy ranks during his stint in Merseyside.
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