Former long serving Everton youth coach Paul Tait who helped bring through the likes of Anthony Gordon and Ross Barkley is back in football at Chester
Former Everton players Anthony Gordon of Barcelona and Ross Barkley (inset) of Aston Villa came through under Paul Tait
Former Everton players Anthony Gordon of Barcelona and Ross Barkley (inset) of Aston Villa came through under Paul Tait
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Three months after leaving Everton, long serving youth coach Paul Tait, who worked at the Blues for 20 years has returned to football with Chester.
Tait, 51, helped to develop a number of professional footballers for Everton, including the likes of Anthony Gordon and Ross Barkley. However, in July, following a six-month strategic review of the academy by technical director Nick Cox, his role as Under-21s head coach was deemed to no longer exist, with Dave Hughes taking over that team as part of his wider remit, having been appointed to the new role of head of academy player development.
Hughes, who was sacked by League Two Newport County the previous November after six months in charge, worked with Cox at Manchester United, having been hired as their Under-21s assistant in July 2022.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne-born Tait had a playing spell at the Deva Stadium when the club were still Chester City in 2006 and following his return, the National League North side made the following announcement: “Chester FC are delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Tait as the club's new youth team manager.
“The 51-year-old brings 18 years of elite player development experience within Everton's Premier League Category One Academy, where he played a key role in developing a number of players who have gone on to establish themselves at the highest level, including the likes of Ross Barkley and Anthony Gordon.
“A UEFA Pro Licence coach, Paul was appointed academy lead coach for the Under-21s and professional development phase at Everton in 2022, having previously managed the club’s Under-18s. He subsequently took charge of the Under-21s, a role he held until this summer.”