Manchester City close in on triple coaching change with two alterations confirmed for 2024/25 season | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City are closing on in a trio of coaching changes within the top-level of their Academy system ahead of the new campaign.

In the last three years, Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad in particular has endured huge amounts of success, having recorded successive Premier League 2 triumphs in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.

City’s highly-rated Academy system and their back-to-back success in the Premier League’s leading Academy division also saw the club become the first team to win three successive PL2 titles, and largely under the guidance of Brian Barry-Murphy.

But following a club announcement this week, that leadership and footballing vision of Barry-Murphy will come to an end ahead of the new season, with a trio of changes to be made in the coaching department within Manchester City’s Academy structure.

As confirmed by Manchester City on Monday, the club have now finalised their coaching structure for the Elite Development Squad (EDS) ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with Brian Barry-Murphy leaving his role as Head Coach of the EDS as well as the club as a whole.

As a direct result, Ben Wilkinson has now been appointed as Elite Development Squad Lead Coach, moving into the role from his position of Manchester City Under-18s Lead Coach, a responsibility he has held for the past three seasons.

That change of role has now opened up the space for a previously reported arrival, with Oliver Reiß now expected to become the new head coach of City under-18s, with the 41-year-old leaving his association with Hertha BSC after 17 years.

Whilst Reiß’ position has not yet been formally announced by Manchester City, the club have confirmed that they will be making public their revamped Under-18s coaching set-up ‘in due course’.

Wilkinson, who becomes City’s new Elite Development Squad Lead Coach, won the Under-18 Premier League regional and national titles in both 2021/22 and 2022/23, in the process becoming the first side to achieve three consecutive Premier League north and national titles.

Wilkinson went on to guide Manchester City to FA Youth Cup glory last season, with the club’s Under-18 side claiming the hugely prestigious trophy via a 4-0 final win over Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium in May 2024.