Newcastle United only appointed Diarmuid O’Carroll as under-21s manager last September.
Newcastle United are looking for another under-21s manager after Diarmuid O’Carroll joined Sparta Prague.
The 38-year-old was appointed last September, helping the young Magpies achieve a commendable ninth-place finish in Premier League 2. Previous stints in Northern Ireland and Scotland already gave O’Carroll a taste for academy football.
However, he is now set to test himself at senior level at Czech giants Sparta Prague. O’Carroll is the latest coach from Newcastle United’s Academy to make the leap to professional football, following in the footsteps of Ben Dawson and Graeme Carrick.
Steve Harper praises Diarmuid O’Carroll
Steve Harper, Newcastle’s academy director, expressed gratitude and pride at O’Carroll’s progress as he aims to appoint the club’s fifth under-21s coach in as many years. He told the club website: “I’d like to thank Diarmuid for his time with us leading the Under-21 group,” Harper said. “The opportunity to work in Europe is an exciting one for him, and we wish him the best of luck as his coaching career continues.
“He is the third professional development phase coach to be headhunted from our Academy for a first-team senior football role in the last 12 months, which demonstrates that our Academy development pathway works not just for players but for staff too.”
Academy investment key to PIF strategy
Previously neglected under Mike Ashley, Newcastle recognise the value of a functioning youtube setup. NewcastleWorld reported earlier this year that £200million is the budget for a new state-of-the-art training complex.
The current Benton base has already undergone significant improvement since the Saudi-backed takeover. Infamous pictures of players recovering in wheely bins are now a distant memory but the Magpies still trail their Premier League rivals.
With PSR increasingly influencing what teams can spend, developing youngsters - even if only to sell at a profit - has become a key strategy for Premier League clubs. Chelsea and Manchester have created a model that teams like Newcastle are looking to follow.
Steve Harper on academy mission
Speaking in 2021, Harper - the longest-serving player in Newcastle’s history - outlined what the mission statement is for the club’s academy. He said: "What that badge means to people is hard-working players in and out of possession, people who want to get on the ball and take care of the ball.
“That's what we have to try to instil at the academy. Raising the intensity of everything we do, it'll raise the quality and the standards and, hopefully, over the future years we can improve the production line.”
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