The role of the academy director is to provide a framework for the development of young players and to oversee the recruitment and development of players and coaches within their club’s academy.
Since it is their job to develop the overall framework and vision for the academy and the coaches working under their supervision, academy directors must have a very clear understanding of their club’s philosophy, as a clear philosophy creates a pathway for players to progress through the academy’s age groups and, eventually, into the first team. It is critical that academy players are given the opportunity to develop their talent in line with the overall philosophy of the club, as this means they will immediately understand the system and playing style adopted by the first-team coach if they are called upon to represent the first team.