We have made two important new additions to our academy team.



Marcel Lucassen joins us as head of coach and player development, responsible for all coaches and teams from under-9s to under-23s.



He joins from Al-Nasr FC in Dubai where, as technical director for the past three years, he has overseen the club’s youth academy and supported the UAE Federation in the development of their national coach education programme.



Prior to Al-Nasr FC, Marcel held positions with the German FA, where he had responsibility for the individual technical and tactical development of the German national youth teams, and 1899 TSG Hoffenheim, where he was assistant coach. At the German FA he was one of the key people who developed and improved the DFB playing style.



Marcel is a UEFA Pro Licence Instructor and a Lecturer and Consultant at the World Football Academy.



We also welcome Lee Herron to the academy as our head of academy football operations. Lee joins us after 17 years at Championship club Reading, where he has been a key figure in making their academy one of the most effective in the game. He has been Reading’s academy manager since 2016.