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Washington United appoint Jake Hannah as Head of Youth Development
Hannah will take on the job in addition to his role at as First Team Coach and was appointed due to his experience of coaching within youth football.
Washington United have appointed Jake Hannah as the club’s Head of Youth Development.
The 23-year-old will take the job in addition to his role as First Team Coach and will bridge the gap between the club’s Wearside League team and youth setup.
Hannah is currently employed by the Foundation of Light as a Sports Development Officer, where he works across a range of community-based programmes.
Following his appointment, Hannah said:
“As Head of Youth Development, I am looking to create a pathway for players in younger age groups to get into the first team.
In the shorter term I will be attending the games of the younger age groups to see what level they are at, as well as keeping in contact with their managers to see how they are progressing.”
Hannah possesses experience in working with younger players through his Sports Business and Coaching degree, plus he currently coaches an Under-15s grassroots team.
Discussing what he can bring to the role, Hannah said:
“The aim is to get some of the younger players training with the first team, however we have recently signed many young players so I will be looking to work with them using development targets.
Most of my coaching experience has been within youth football, particularly youth development roles, being part of both the first team and the youth setup will enable me to be the club’s link between the two.”
He will assist the newly installed management team who have prioritised signing young players hungry for success, who have experienced playing football at Northern Football League level.
On Hannah’s appointment, Manager Cameron Thompson said:
“The role of Head of Youth Development is something that I believe is massively important to us as a club.
A club with the aspirations of Washington United must have a clear structure so we can create opportunities for upcoming players.
I look forward to seeing young players break into the first team and become leading figures for this football club.”
You can follow Hannah on Twitter @Jake_Hannah and you can also follow the club @WashyUnitedFC for regular updates on the team’s progress.