Richard Walker has been appointed Wolves’ new under-21s head coach, stepping up from his previous role leading the club’s under-18s.
Walker, who led the under-21s group during pre-season, moves into the position permanently having spent the past three years working within the Wolves Academy, following his arrival from Stoke City in the summer of 2023.
During that time, he has played an important role in the development of a number of young players now progressing through the professional development phase and has already worked closely with many of the players he will now oversee at under-21 level.
The Stafford-born coach arrived at Wolves with significant experience in academy football, having previously spent 14 years coaching within Stoke’s youth set-up, including eight years working across their under-18 and under-21 groups.
Before moving into coaching, Walker enjoyed a playing career as a defender with the likes of Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale, captaining the former during his time at Gresty Road.
Now, having spent three seasons getting to know the academy and its players, Walker will take responsibility for the under-21 group and the crucial final stage of their development towards senior football.
Wolves academy director Jonathan Hunter-Barrett said: “Richard has been with us for the past three seasons and, in that time, has played a pivotal role in the progression of some of the young players who have been part of his age group.
“We feel he possesses the right skills and experience to take us forward in the under-21s environment, which is critical in really finishing the players off before those final stages of playing the game professionally.
“He knows all the players inside and out. He knows what they’re good at and what they need to work on, and he’s also been developing a good relationship with the new first-team coaches, which definitely helps with that transition.
“He’s a strong leader and he’s very consistent in the way he behaves and works. He’ll also instil the discipline that these players need as they move towards the professional game.”
While Walker will be tasked with ensuring the under-21s remain competitive, Hunter-Barrett stressed that individual progression towards senior football will remain the primary measure of success for the group.
He added: “First and foremost, we want to be as competitive as possible during games, but it’s always about individual development and individual progression.
“Christian Preusser and I will work closely with Rich to monitor how much the players are progressing and ultimately how ready they are to either play for us or go and play elsewhere.
“Richard’s job is really important in making sure each individual progresses. Sometimes that means we’ll do things in games which might look slightly different to what you would see in first-team football, because we have to make sure we’re developing the players in the areas they need.”
Walker’s promotion leaves the under-18s position vacant, with the academy currently undertaking a recruitment process to appoint his successor.
Former AFC Bournemouth defender and current under-16s lead coach Karl Broadhurst will take interim charge of the under-18s while that process is completed.
