List of Chelsea FC Academy Staff in 2023

Chelsea FC academy staff contributes a lot to the success of the Blues’ young football players. If you want to know who they are, keep scrolling down!

List of Chelsea Academy Coaching Staff 2023

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Claude Makélélé – Technical Mentor 

• Full name: Claude Makélélé Sinda
• Nationality: French
• Age: 49
• Position: Technical Mentor

The first Chelsea FC academy staff is Makelele. He was a productive holding midfielder for the blues for five years, making 217 appearances and scoring twice. He won two league championships, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. The Englishman also assisted the Blues in reaching the 2008 Champions League final – his final match for the team.

In August 2019, Claude Makelele made a comeback to the team to serve as a technical advisor to the Blues’ young players.

He spends a lot of time at Chelsea’s Cobham training facility. Here, he works directly with specific Academy players to monitor their technical development as they approach a turning point in their careers.

Additionally, he helps Chelsea players on loan, paying regular visits to other teams and giving them match analysis.

After managing Bastia in 2014, he handled Belgian top-flight club Eupen before returning to Stamford Bridge.

Neil Bath – Head of Youth Development 

• Full name: Neil Bath
• Nationality: English
• Age: 56
• Position: Head of Youth Development

Since joining the Chelsea schoolboys coaching staff part-time in 1993, Neil Bath has ascended to the head of the Academy structure.

Mark Robinson – Development Squad Head Coach 

• Full name: Mark Robinson
• Nationality: English
• Age: 57
• Position: Development Squad Head Coach

In 2004 summer, he became Academy manager after serving as the Under 8–16 age groups’ assistant academy director since 2002. His responsibilities as head of youth development were subsequently expanded in 2011 to include managing the Reserves/Under-21 setup.

He was a Chelsea fan who assisted in restructuring the youth development program in 2004. The effects are still evident more than ten years later, as most of our new learners each year have been club members since the Under-9 age group.

He received the Eamonn Dolan award in July 2020 in honor of his outstanding work with Chelsea FC’s youth program.

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Jon Harley – Development Squad Assistant 

• Full name: Jonathan Harley
• Nationality: English
• Age: 57
• Position: Development Squad Assistant

In the summer of 2019, the Blues’ ex-defender Jon Harley accepted the assistant coach position for the development team.

From 1996 until 2001, Harley, who came from Chelsea Academy, made 42 games for the men’s first team, winning the FA Cup in 2000. 

After a 16-year professional career, he rejoined the team and spent the last six years instructing the younger age groups. His most notable contribution was helping Andy Myers with the U18 in 2018–19.

Jack Mesure – Development Squad Assistant 

• Full name: Jack Mesure
• Nationality: English
• Age: 35
• Position: Development Squad Assistant

In the 2021 summer, Jack Mesure, a former player for Crystal Palace, came to the academy and got the development team assistant coach position.

Before leaving for Bristol Rovers in July 2020, where he aided old Palace colleague Ben Garner in the senior squad, he served as Chelsea’s Under-15s and Under-16s head coach.

Ed Brand – Under-18s Head Coach 

• Full name: Edward Christopher Brand
• Nationality: English
• Age: 35
• Position: Under-18s Head Coach

Ed Brand is now a Chelsea FC academy staff. He was hired as the Under-18s head coach in the 2019 summer. He previously played defense for the Chelsea junior squad and led the Blues in the FA Youth Cup.

In 2008, Brand returned to the Academy in a coaching position. He worked with a few younger age groups before advancing to help Jody Morris with the Under-18s in 2016. The youthful Blues won every match they played over his two seasons at that level.

Before taking over as our 23rd youth team manager in July 2019, this Chelsea Academy coaching staff offered his assistance to Joe Edwards with our development team in 2018–19. He helped lead the young Chelsea to the UEFA Youth League final for a second consecutive season.

Andy Ross – Under-18s Assistant 

• Full name: Andrew Cameron Ross
• Nationality: Scottish
• Age: 40
• Position: Under-18s Assistant

Andy Ross, an ex-player for the Chelsea junior squad, rose through the Cobham coaching ranks before taking up the position of Under-18s assistant in the 2021 summer.

The Scottish player, who returned to the club after playing periods at Partick Thistle, St. Albans City, and Hitchin Town, had collaborated with every age level from over the Under-14s.

Jimmy Smith – Under-18s Assistant 

• Full name: James “Jimmy” Dean Smith
• Nationality: English
• Age: 35
• Position: Under-18s Assistant

James “Jimmy” Dean Smith is an English former professional and semi-professional player who last competed as a winger/midfielder for Grays Athletic. Along with sometimes featuring for the U23 team, he is currently one of the Chelsea FC academy staff.

Smith started playing for the Blues when he was nine years old and rose through the youth ranks until agreeing to a professional contract in 2005. He debuted for Chelsea’s first squad in May 2006 after frequently appearing for the reserve team throughout the 2005–06 campaign. He ended up playing for the club only once after that.

Conclusion

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