A coaching figure with experience at some of Europe’s biggest clubs has joined Sheffield Wednesday on a consultancy basis, The Star understands.
The Owls remain in the early stages of a huge rebuild effort in which changes have been made in all areas of the club including at various football levels. It is understood that a number of consultants have been utilised in recent months across different departments following the takeover of the club by US consortium Arise Capital Partners at the start of May.
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Now, The Star can reveal that Aaron Briggs has been enlisted to work with the club in a consultancy capacity having previously worked with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool as well as with FIFA and UEFA. The 39-year-old has held a number of roles across his previous clubs and was assistant manager to Niko Kovac at both Monaco - where he also went on to act as head of methodology - and at Wolfsburg.
Having started out at Blackpool before coming through the ranks at the Etihad Campus, he spent his time in Europe before being appointed initially as an individual coach and then set pieces coach in Arne Slot’s title-winning Liverpool set-up. He left the Anfield club in December last year and has since worked for UEFA in its game insights department.
It is believed that Briggs has already had some contact time at Middlewood Road as part of the arrangement. The Star understands he has been brought on board as a consultant to assist and advise on the development of game models and coaching frameworks at all levels from under-nine level to the first team. Wednesday are seeking to accelerate the development of their their wider football strategies, with processes having been found wanting under the previous regime.
Wednesday appear to be ambitious about the improvement of their coaching and football programmes behind the scenes. CEO David Bruce suggested to The Star in the last months that the ultimate, long-term goal would be to achieve Category A status for the club’s academy, with a range of considerations being made over how to go about that mission including the future of the club’s training base.