Chelsea’s academy has been boosted by the arrival of a number of leadership hires from Premier League rivals as the Blues look to build on Cobham’s reputation as a conveyor belt of talent.
The club confirmed on Friday that Glenn van der Kraan has joined from Manchester City as their new academy technical director.
He will lead the youth development programme alongside Jack Francis, who has worked his way up the ranks internally to become the academy’s football operations director.
While it was not mentioned in the club’s release, Mail Sport understands Delroy Ebanks and Ayo Durojaiye have also now joined from Newcastle and Arsenal respectively to take on recruitment and scouting roles.
Thursday’s Conference League win over Gent included a shot in the arm for the youth set-up, with 18-year-old Tyrique George coming off the substitutes’ bench and 17-year-old Kiano Dyer included in Enzo Maresca’s squad after taking part in first-team training.
Tyrique George, 18, came off the bench in Chelsea 's Europa League win over Gent on Thursday
Kiano Dyer, 17, got his first taste of a senior match day squad in the fixture after taking part in first-team training
The changes at the top of the academy follow the departures of Neil Bath, who had worked at Chelsea for 31 years, and Jim Fraser.
Their seismic contribution was celebrated by the club, who want to make sure they remain the envy of football after producing so many elite players. Reece James was one of those who broke through and is now club captain, while Levi Colwill also came through the academy.
Chelsea say they are excited by the direction they are heading in with their new leadership in place, with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart adding that ‘the academy is fundamental to the plan for the future of the club’.