Commercial
2024 CORPORATE GOLF DAY
16th May 2024
Dundee United today announced a radical overhaul of its youth development system, following the departure of Academy Director Graeme Liveston, who leaves with our sincere thanks and best wishes after some 25 years of sterling service to the Club.
Manager & Director of Football Craig Levein has restructured the entire operation, appointing Brian Grant as Senior Academy Manager and Ian Cathro as Junior Academy Manager, with both reporting to Youth Director Stevie Campbell. Former Aberdeen midfielder Grant will be responsible for overseeing the development of players aged 15 up to professional youth level, while 23 year old Dundonian Cathro will implement an innovative new coaching and education system, named Take It & Play, for all age groups from under 11 years onwards. New coaches and scouts have been recruited to assist at the new and revamped coaching centres in Dundee and Stirling.
Craig Levein said that he had been studying the youth set up at the Club in his role as Director of Football for over two years and had decided that now was the time to implement his vision for the future of Dundee United.
He said, "I decided I had to basically scrap the entire existing structure and start over to ensure the Club would be better placed in terms of home grown talent in future years. This isn't a criticism of what's gone before, it's simply a recognition that football - and society in general - has changed dramatically in the last quarter of a century and that we need to change with it. We need to ensure that young players coming through the system are equipped with all the tools and skills to become a good professional footballer in the modern era.
"Twenty five years ago there wasn't the same need to work on basic skills, as kids practiced all the time. Coaching emphasis therefore was quite rightly on team shape, tactics, set plays and so on. Nowadays however, kids have so many distractions that they are rarely seen practicing with a ball in their spare time - if they have any - and we therefore need to compensate for this by teaching and encouraging basic skills only, particularly in the younger age groups. We need to educate them, rather than dictate to them and focus on replacing all the hours of practice lost to a generation of young footballers."
As well as introducing what is believed to be some revolutionary coaching methods, the Club will be increasing the number of coaching sessions and adding considerably to its youth scouting and coaching staff. All of this will cost considerably in excess of what is spent currently, and a youth development fund has therefore been established under the control of Director John Bennett.
Craig Levein added, "It is important that the new set up is adequately funded and equally important to ensure that these funds are spent wisely. I felt that this was best handled by establishing a specific body to raise and oversee the spending of the funding requested. John has agreed to chair this and will be joined, I hope, by ArabTRUST and other fund raising organisations, together with other key individuals. This will help to ensure that all youth development fund raising is co-ordinated and specifically targeted, with all spending transparent. I am delighted that ArabTRUST has made an immediate donation of £8000 towards new kit for the youth players and I'd like t thank all of its members for this very generous donation."
Manager & Director of Football Craig Levein has restructured the entire operation, appointing Brian Grant as Senior Academy Manager and Ian Cathro as Junior Academy Manager, with both reporting to Youth Director Stevie Campbell. Former Aberdeen midfielder Grant will be responsible for overseeing the development of players aged 15 up to professional youth level, while 23 year old Dundonian Cathro will implement an innovative new coaching and education system, named Take It & Play, for all age groups from under 11 years onwards. New coaches and scouts have been recruited to assist at the new and revamped coaching centres in Dundee and Stirling.
Craig Levein said that he had been studying the youth set up at the Club in his role as Director of Football for over two years and had decided that now was the time to implement his vision for the future of Dundee United.
He said, "I decided I had to basically scrap the entire existing structure and start over to ensure the Club would be better placed in terms of home grown talent in future years. This isn't a criticism of what's gone before, it's simply a recognition that football - and society in general - has changed dramatically in the last quarter of a century and that we need to change with it. We need to ensure that young players coming through the system are equipped with all the tools and skills to become a good professional footballer in the modern era.
"Twenty five years ago there wasn't the same need to work on basic skills, as kids practiced all the time. Coaching emphasis therefore was quite rightly on team shape, tactics, set plays and so on. Nowadays however, kids have so many distractions that they are rarely seen practicing with a ball in their spare time - if they have any - and we therefore need to compensate for this by teaching and encouraging basic skills only, particularly in the younger age groups. We need to educate them, rather than dictate to them and focus on replacing all the hours of practice lost to a generation of young footballers."
As well as introducing what is believed to be some revolutionary coaching methods, the Club will be increasing the number of coaching sessions and adding considerably to its youth scouting and coaching staff. All of this will cost considerably in excess of what is spent currently, and a youth development fund has therefore been established under the control of Director John Bennett.
Craig Levein added, "It is important that the new set up is adequately funded and equally important to ensure that these funds are spent wisely. I felt that this was best handled by establishing a specific body to raise and oversee the spending of the funding requested. John has agreed to chair this and will be joined, I hope, by ArabTRUST and other fund raising organisations, together with other key individuals. This will help to ensure that all youth development fund raising is co-ordinated and specifically targeted, with all spending transparent. I am delighted that ArabTRUST has made an immediate donation of £8000 towards new kit for the youth players and I'd like t thank all of its members for this very generous donation."
