Former West Brom coach is expected to return to Bodymoor Heath
Richard Beale left West Brom last month
Richard Beale left West Brom last month(Image: PA)
Aston Villa are expected to appoint Richard Beale as the club’s new Under-18 head coach.
Having left West Bromwich Albion at the end of last month, Beale was reportedly close to joining Reading as their assistant manager.
However, BirminghamLive understands that Beale is now set to take up the vacant coaching role in Villa’s academy, left by Jimmy Shan following his promotion to Under-21 head coach.
Shan served as Villa’s Under-18 head coach for one year after joining the club last July. He led his age group to a treble last season, topping the Under-18 Premier League Southern Section, winning the national title, and lifting the prestigious FA Youth Cup.
Shan and Beale have previously worked together at both Solihull Moors and West Brom, while Villa academy manager Mark Harrison and head of player talent ID Steve Hopcroft also had long stints at the Hawthorns.
Beale himself spent seven months as Villa’s Under-18 head coach from July 2019 to March 2020, before taking up a role at Solihull Moors, where he stayed for a year until March 2021.
Since June 2021, Beale has served as the senior professional development phase manager at West Brom, leading their Under-21s for the past four seasons.
In his first campaign, Beale guided the Baggies' youngsters to victory in the Premier League Cup, beating Wolves on penalties in the final.
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