Sunderland AFC is to welcome a new Academy manager to its ranks.
Jimmy Sinclair will head up the club’s academy set up as it enters a new phase of its player development strategy. Jimmy will over-see the key areas within the club’s Elite Player Performance Plan, including coaching, recruitment, sports science and medical - working alongside its existing team of experienced Academy staff.
Sinclair brings with him a wealth of experience across a broad football spectrum. He has previously headed up Glasgow Rangers’ academy and was appointed as technical director at the Scottish FA. More recently he worked as assistant to Eric Black during the former Sunderland assistant managers’ tenure in charge of Aston Villa.
Sunderland AFC’s chief executive, Martin Bain, said: “Having the right structures in place to ensure we can recruit, develop and nurture the best young talent possible is fundamental to spearheading our improvement as a football club. Developing an increased number of players through our own Academy system, who are capable of playing for the first team, is a key aim.
“Jimmy brings with him a wealth of experience, which will be hugely beneficial to us as we look to build on the success of our Academy and take things to the next level and we warmly welcome him to Sunderland”.
A number of Sunderland’s home-grown youngsters have broken into the first team squad this season, most notably Jordan Pickford, who also secured a full international call up for England in November. Last month young midfielder George Honeyman also made his first team Premier League debut.