Norwich City are delighted to announce the appointment of Jimmy Gilligan as the club’s new Football Development Director.
Gilligan joins from UAE Pro League club Al-Jazira, where he was the club’s Academy Head of Player & Coach Development. He will officially begin his role at the club on September 1.
He brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to the club. Prior to his spell in the United Arab Emirates, he spent four years as Academy Head of Technical Development at Watford and has also worked with Nottingham Forest, Milton Keynes Dons and the Nike Football Academy.
As a player, the former striker made more than 280 Football League appearances and scored over 70 league goals during a successful career that included spells with the likes of Watford, Cardiff City and Swansea City.
Sporting Director Ben Knapper said: “I’m delighted to welcome Jimmy to Norwich City. He is one of the most experienced youth developers in the country, and his knowledge and expertise of elite talent development will be invaluable for us.
"Throughout his career, he has seen multiple cycles of top talent transition from Academy to senior football, and the reference points that he has as both a player and coach developer will be something that everyone in our environment can benefit from.
“His impact on the careers of many elite players over the years has been huge, and I’m excited to work closely with him on the next phase of our academy journey.”