Man United have officially appointed a new director of the academy, with Nick Cox leaving the club to join Everton.
Stephen Torpey has joined from Brentford.(Image: Brentford FC)
Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Stephen Torpey as academy director.
The Manchester Evening News exclusively revealed last month that Torpey was being considered to succeed Nick Cox, and United have now formally announced his appointment.
Torpey will start his new role in the coming months due to a period of gardening leave. Cox will remain in place to support a smooth transition before departing to take up the role of Everton technical director.
Jason Wilcox said: “After an extensive recruitment process, we are delighted to have appointed Stephen at such an exciting time for our academy.
“Stephen’s record of youth development is outstanding; throughout his career he has played a significant role in the development of some of the most talented players in the country.
“We will work closely together to ensure that the academy continues to foster the right environment to nurture our young players individually while developing the best talent ready to excel in our first team.”
Torpey said: “I am really proud to have this opportunity to lead Manchester United’s academy. It is obviously a great time to be joining as the club enters an exciting new era; I can’t wait to play my role in continuing the incredible tradition of youth development here.
“After spending time with the leadership team, it is clear that the academy will always remain key to the identity of Manchester United, with our primary aim being to produce players ready to support a first team capable of challenging for the biggest honours.”
In June, it was confirmed that Cox was to leave the academy after nine years of service to become technical director at Everton. During his time in charge, Cox has played a pivotal role in United's academy's renaissance, securing top youth signings and overseeing an FA Youth Cup triumph in 2022.
Torpey was appointed as Brentford's academy director in January 2024. Brentford hired him to essentially build their academy from scratch and deliver Category One academy status.
Torpey was previously at Manchester City, where he spent nine-and-a-half years in different positions, notably working closely alongside Wilcox, director of football at United.
The 43-year-old is credited with helping City implement a Barcelona-style coaching system, which has subsequently enabled the club's youth teams to win trophies with a similar style of football to their first-team.
Torpey played a role in the development of Cole Palmer, James McAtee and Rico Lewis, who all progressed through the academy system at City to make senior debuts under Pep Guardiola. He also played a role in player recruitment as part of a team of academy staff who pitched to potential new signings.
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