Hughes appointed U23 boss by Sheffield United
Written by Simon Austin — August 22, 2019
FORMER Huddersfield Town first team coach Andrew Hughes has been appointed Under-23 boss at Sheffield United.
The 41-year-old will work under new Academy Manager Jack Lester, who took over from long-serving Travis Binnion earlier this summer. Lester, who played up front for the Blades, was formerly manager of Chesterfield Town and, most recently, the Wales U21 boss.
Hughes left Huddersfield in June, although he had not been involved at the club since manager David Wagner departed in January. He played more than 500 senior games for clubs including Norwich, Reading and Leeds before moving into coaching with Bolton’s U21s. Spells as first team coach at Rotherham, Crystal Palace and Huddersfield followed.
Lester said: "Andrew will bring a load of positivity and energy to the Academy, and is a highly skilled and experienced coach, we are delighted to have secured this appointment."
Hughes added: "I'm absolutely delighted to join at such an exciting time, and I can't wait to get started."
Binnion departed the club after 10 years’ service at the end of last season, along with experienced coaches Mick Wadsworth and John Dungworth.
The Blades placed 15th in our Academy Productivity Rankings for 2017/18 and during the last decade have produced the likes of Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Derek Geary will continue as U18s lead coach, with Matt Duke the Academy goalkeeping coach.