Manchester United’s Academy structure looks set to have a reshuffle as two key senior figures are set to depart Old Trafford.
The last 18 months have seen an immense amount of change to Manchester United’s backroom staff. Since Sir Jim Radcliffe and INEOS took over the club’s football operations, there has been a significant overhaul of the club’s personnel.
The most notable change under INEOS is the appointment of Ruben Amorim, who replaced Eric ten Hag as the club’s manager. Amorim’s appointment was a point of contention at the club and was reportedly a major factor in the departure of recently appointed director of football Dan Ashworth.
INEOS have also overseen the removal of countless long-standing United employees to rectify the club’s dire financial situation. This has been a point of controversy among fans and also reportedly amongst the dressing room.
In addition to these departures, two prominent figures in United’s Academy have left the club, one heading to a Premier League rival.
United’s Academy double departure
In May, it was announced that Adam Lawrence, Manchester United’s U18 lead coach and head of player development (U13 to U16), would be leaving the club. Today, The Athletic has revealed that Director of Academy Nick Cox will also be leaving the club.
Lawrence has successfully served for clubs’ Academy sides since 2021, when he joined from Charlton Athletic. During the last season, Lawrence oversaw an under-18 side that won both the Premier League regional and national titles in addition to the Premier League Cup.
Mark Critchley of The Athletic stated that United hope to have found a replacement for Lawrence by the start of the 2025/26 season. Since the announcement of his departure last month, no appointment has been made, and recruitment on that front has been quiet.
Cox’s departure has come as an even greater surprise, given how much his name has been associated with the figures currently instrumental to the club’s development. Despite this, Laurie Whitwell in the Athletic reported that Cox’s departure is an amicable one for all parties, despite him being set to join Premier League rivals Everton.
Whitwell went on to add that Cox will stay in his position until a successor is appointed, and given the significance of United’s academy to the club, this is a position they will look to fill swiftly.
Patrick Boyland, also of the Athletic, spoke about how this appointment has been received from the Everton perspective, and that is a testament to what they’re currently building in Liverpool, as they can attract such a key United figure.
Cox and Lawrence’s legacy
While the club will be disappointed to lose two pivotal members of the Academy staff, the club and its fans will be grateful for what the pair achieved during their time at Carrington.
As previously mentioned, Lawrence impressed in both his developmental and managerial roles, particularly with Manchester United’s under-18s success, which was one of the few positives to be taken away from the club.
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In his 9 years at the club, Cox has held various Academy development positions and overseen the promotion of a significant number of United Academy members to the first team. Among the most notable are Kobbie Mainoo, Chido Obi, Alejandro Garnacho, Dean Henderson, and Anthony Elanga.
One of the few things fans could take solace in this season was the glimpses of high-potential youth that the pair had helped develop during their time at the club, and finding replacements who can meet their same standards will be just as important to the club’s future as any signing made this window.
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