Academy manager Gareth Prosser to depart Wolves

Wolves Academy manager Gareth Prosser is set to depart the club later this season to take up an exciting new position within English football.

Prosser, who joined the club over ten years ago and has been academy manager since 2013, will lead a new independent auditing process for academies within English professional football clubs - a joint venture between the Premier League, EFL, and FA.

In his decade at Wolves, Prosser has played an important role in the development of a host of Academy graduates, including Jack Price, Harry Burgoyne and Morgan Gibbs-White, and was heavily involved in the Elite Player Performance Plan development at the club, resulting in the Wolves Academy achieving Category One status in 2012.

Under his leadership, Category One status was retained in June 2016, with Wolves part of an elite group of only six Category One clubs to achieve an unconditional three year licence.

“I have loved every minute of my time at Wolves”, said Prosser, who will remain at the club until his successor is appointed.

“It has been an incredibly difficult decision to move onto a new challenge, especially when the club’s current trajectory is so positive and future so bright, however the opportunity to be a part of a project that will benefit the future of English football was one I had to take very seriously.

“Over my ten years at the club we have developed a programme that puts Wolves up there with the best in the country and also had some notable successes over the years right up to the present day.

“As an Academy we have never become complacent, continually wanting more and finding solutions when needed along with new ways to improve further - all with the intention of supporting the club to achieve success.

“To think about all that we have achieved collectively in the last ten years is a great feeling and one that I am proud to have been involved in, and I wish everyone at Wolves, the Academy and my successor the best of luck moving forwards.”

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will lead the recruitment process to identify a new Academy manager, and paid tribute to the impact Prosser has had on the club and its players.

“I don’t think we could have had a more professional, diligent and caring individual to look after the development of our young players over the last decade at Wolves”, Thelwell told wolves.co.uk.

”When I became sporting director, it was a very easy decision for me to appoint him Academy manager because it was perfectly clear to me that he was ready for the challenge, and I think he has proven that by the great work that he has done in the role.

“The very fact our Academy is rated third overall in the country is, in the main, down to the incredible work Gareth has done, and he will be a big loss to the football club and to the young players who are coming through.

“We now turn our attention to identifying a suitable successor who shares the same Wolves values that Gareth had in abundance, and wish Gareth the best of luck in his new role.”

 

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