Chester have appointed former Everton under-21 manager Paul Tait as the club’s new youth team manager.
Tait, 51, brings 18 years of elite player development experience within Everton’s Premier League Category One Academy, where he played a key role in developing a number of players who have gone on to establish themselves at the highest level, including the likes of Ross Barkley and Anthony Gordon.
A UEFA Pro Licence coach, Paul was appointed Academy Lead Coach for the Under-21s and Professional Development Phase at Everton in 2022, having previously managed the club’s U18s. He subsequently took charge of the U21s, a role he held until this summer.
Tait replaces Mike Allcock as youth team manager after he announced his decision to step down last month to pursue a new professional opportunity with his own business, and he will be tasked with keeping the conveyor belt of talent coming through to the first team at the Deva Communtiy Stadium and continue the young Blues’ success and growth on the pitch.
Chester general manager Albert Davies said: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to Chester FC as our new Youth Team Manager.
“We undertook a rigorous recruitment process, with a number of highly credible candidates, which made it a difficult decision.
“However, Paul’s passion and enthusiasm, combined with his experience in the game and proven track record, made him the outstanding candidate for the position.
“His appointment represents a real coup for the club and an exciting opportunity to continue developing our youth programme.
“Since the scholarship programme was established in 2017, a tremendous amount of work by so many people has gone into building it into what it is today, and we’re looking forward to helping Paul to build on those strong foundations to ensure the programme continues to thrive and evolve.”
Tait, whose playing career included spells at Bristol Rovers, Hull City and Crewe Alexandra, will be a familiar face to some Blues fans having played for Chester City during a spell at the Blues in 2006, the striker being the final signed by Keith Curle during his time as manager.
He finished his playing career at Barrow in 2008 before embarking on his coaching career at Everton, one where he developed a strong reputation for bringing on talented players through the academy setup.
“I’m really excited to be here and really looking forward to getting going,” said Tait.
“It seems like a good fit for both parties, and the record that the football club has got at bringing through its own players is brilliant for any development coach.
“Everton was an amazing place for me. I have spent a lot of time there and learned so much from so many top people.
“I’m looking forward to getting started and to try and implement some new ideas.”
An absolute bargain for the advertised package. Well done 👏