Everton have moved to overhaul their academy staffing, with David Hughes set to replace Paul Tait as Under-21 manager and head of academy player development, according to reports.
Tait leaves after eight years at the club, having managed the Under-18s before taking charge of the Under-21s in 2022 and briefly stepping in as first-team caretaker in January 2023.
Hughes arrives with previous experience at Newport County, Manchester United and the Wales set-up, per the same reports.
The change is part of a broader shake-up at Finch Farm, following a review led by technical director Nick Cox, who joined from Manchester United last summer after transforming their academy pipeline.
According to The Athletic’s Everton correspondent, Patrick Boyland, further appointments include Tom Curtis and Matt Taylor in talks over academy roles, Carl Darlington moving into head of academy coach development, Ben Dickson promoted to head of academy recruitment, and Nick Chadwick taking on the PDP senior coach and loans programme manager role.
Darlington had been leading the academy on an interim basis since Gareth Prosser’s departure last summer, before Dean Rastrick was confirmed as the new Academy Director in April.
Further changes across youth development, medical and sports science departments are expected to follow as Cox continues to reshape the structure he inherited — part of a wider push by the Friedkin Group to turn Finch Farm into a more productive pipeline into the first team.
