Manchester United have continued their rebuild by appointing Andy O’Boyle as deputy football director. The club’s former academy coach was the Premier League’s head of elite performance.
O’Boyle left United 16 years ago after helping to develop youngsters including Marcus Rashford. He took up roles at Liverpool, Coventry, Wrexham and the England Under-21s before moving to the Premier League in 2017.
John Murtough, the football director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Andy back to Manchester United to take up this important role in the club’s leadership. Andy has experience across all technical areas of football, from fitness and sports science to scouting and recruitment. This will make him a valuable addition to my team at Carrington as we continue to strengthen leadership and strategic planning across all our football activities.”
O’Boyle, who is from Northern Ireland, said: “I am thrilled to be rejoining Manchester United at such an exciting time for the club, as the first team prepares for a fresh start under Erik ten Hag, and the academy and women’s teams go from strength to strength. Whilst it has been a privilege to serve the Premier League for the past five years, I can’t wait to get started at United and play my part in creating the right environment for football success.”
The 39-year-old will gain a Uefa Pro Licence this summer and is working on a doctorate. At the Premier League he was in charge of advising clubs on player identification and recruitment, loan management, performance analysis, psychology and sports science and medicine.