Justin Cochrane: Manchester United appoint highly-rated England youth coach

England Under-17s head coach will become United academy’s head of player development

Justin Cochrane (right) made his reputation at Tottenham Hotspur (Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I)

Justin Cochrane, England’s Under-17s head coach, has joined Manchester United as the academy's head of player development and coaching.

Cochrane is highly regarded within the Football Association after three years working in England's youth set-up, with Gareth Southgate describing him as "excellent young coach".

The 39-year-old had been tipped to replace Aidy Boothroyd as England's Under-21s head coach but will instead return to club football with United, having previously forged his reputation at Tottenham Hotspur.

Cochrane will work in conjunction with Under-23s manager Neil Wood and his Under-18s counterpart Neil Ryan to maintain a consistent coaching style of play throughout United's youth ranks.

“Joining such a world-renowned academy system is an extremely proud moment and I cannot wait to get started in this new and exciting role,” he said upon the announcement. “From the first conversations, I could see the depth of top-level coaching talent that is already in place at the club.

“I look forward to working with each of them to provide the right environment for our players to thrive and to continue the phenomenal record of developing players for Manchester United’s first-team.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone at The FA for their support over the last three years, working alongside such a dedicated group of staff is a period of my career that I will never forget. Working within the national team set up to develop future England internationals was an incredible experience and I wish Gareth and his staff all the best for Euro 2020.”

His appointment is the latest move in a significant restructing behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

John Murtough and Darren Fletcher were promoted to new roles as football director and technical director respectively in March, while head of first team development Nicky Butt left the club.

Cochrane's departure from the England set-up leaves four of the seven head coaching jobs at youth level vacant, with the Under-21s role the most high-profile.

Boothroyd stepped down as Under-21s manager in April following a group stage exit from the European Championships and ahead of his contract expiring this summer.