Steve Weaver is Huddersfield Town’s new academy supremo.
The former Wrexham and Wolves coach replaces Mark Lillis, who left the club earlier this month.
Weaver inherits a category two academy which Town chairman Dean Hoyle believes should produce more players capable of cutting it at first-team level.
It’s the second-highest youth set-up grading under the FA’s Elite Player Performance Plan.
Town are able to recruit from the age of eight upwards.
Weaver, 43, holds the prestigious UEFA Pro licence and worked alongside Town’s football operations chief Stuart Webber at both Wrexham and Wolves.
He spent 20 years at the Welsh club, where his hopes of a playing career were cut short by injury.
Weaver moved into coaching and after taking charge of Wrexham’s Centre of Excellence and becoming head of youth, had a stint as assistant manager to Brian Carey when the club were still in the Football League.
VIDEO: New Huddersfield Town first-team coach Andy Hughes
Having left in January 2008, he joined Wolves as a development coach the following summer after a stint at Manchester City.
His six years at Molineux included a spell as first-team coach under Terry Connor when Wolves were in the Premier League.
Weaver has recently been scouting for Ipswich Town, managed by former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy.
Town have consistently produced impressive results in Under 18 and 21 matches since the introduction of the EPPP in 2012.
The elder side have just won the Professional Development League II play-offs.
But Hoyle said following the departure if Lillis: “Nobody at Huddersfield Town is happy with treading water in the Championship.
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
“The intention is that the academy will play a large part in helping the club make steps forward on the field.
“The academy plays a big part in our football strategy and the truth is that it has not been delivering Championship-quality footballers on a regular basis."
Webber said: “I’m very happy to welcome Steve in what is a very important appointment.
“Steve brings vast experience of what it takes to develop young footballers to play at first-team level at a vital time for our academy.
“He’s a man I know well from our time together at Wrexham and I believe his knowledge and methods will really add to the club.
“There’s nothing that makes fans and staff prouder than seeing local, homegrown footballers succeed on the first-team stage and we must do everything we can to make our academy model work.
“Steve will look at all areas of the academy, from top to bottom, as we try to bring it to a higher level.
“As the chairman has stated recently, we need the academy to make a big contribution in order to justify its means, which ultimately means producing players for our first team.
“Together with Steve, we will clarify exactly what we want the academy to achieve and how we will do it.”
