Norwich City have recruited Allan Russell to the Canaries’ coaching setup.
He will assume the role of set-piece coach at Lotus Training Centre, having previously worked as an attacking coach as part of Gareth Southgate’s staff at England.
Speaking about his appointment, Allan said: “I’m delighted to have such an important role at what is an all-round first class club.
“The opportunity to work with Dean (Smith), Craig (Shakespeare) and the rest of the staff, with the aim of securing promotion back to the Premier League, was a big draw for me.
“I know what the plans are for the club and how forward-thinking Stuart (Webber) and Neil (Adams) are. There are some really exciting and ambitious plans for how this club can continue to develop and I want to be part of that.
“The opportunity was really enticing. As soon as I spoke to those at the club about the role, it was something I wanted to do straight away. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Gareth Southgate recruited Russell to the England coaching staff ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he was in charge of attacking play, set pieces and penalties. He was instrumental in the Three Lions scoring more goals than at any other World Cup, with 75 per cent of them coming from set pieces.
Head coach Dean Smith was delighted with the appointment, saying: “We’re really pleased to have been able to appoint Allan as our new set-piece coach.
“When I first joined the club, I spoke to Stuart and Neil about bringing in a set-piece coach. I’ve worked with them at both Brentford and Aston Villa and I believe that there is a lot of untapped potential for us in this area. We want to score more and concede less from set pieces.
“Throughout football, there are only a select number of clubs working with set-piece coaches. I think it will certainly help us improve in this area and to be able to bring someone with Allan’s credentials to our club is very pleasing.”