Manchester United recruit England youth bigwig John Peacock as academy consultant
The coach led a squad containing the likes of Jack Butland, Nat Chalobah, Saido Berahino and Ross Barkley to Euro glory
MANCHESTER UNITED have drafted in the most-successful England youth coach ever as they continue to restructure the club’s academy, SunSport can exclusively reveal.
John Peacock, who guided the Three Lions to the UEFA Under-17s European Championship twice during his time with the Football Association, has joined the Red Devils as an academy consultant.
The 60-year-old arrives at Carrington as one of the most qualified coaches in Europe and he has the CV to match his impressive credentials.
Following an initial spell at the FA in the 1990s, Peacock took up the role of academy director at Derby County before the Three Lions came calling again in 2002.
He left Pride Park to take charge of England’s youth side, and he has helped a string of stars develop through the age-groups into the first-team before he left the role as U17s boss last summer.
Former Scunthorpe United full-back Peacock led a squad containing the likes of Jack Butland, Nat Chalobah, Saido Berahino and Ross Barkley to Euro glory in 2010 as they defeated Spain in the final – the first time England had won the tournament at that age-group.
And he repeated the feat four years later as a victory over Holland secured a second success.
Peacock was also a key figure in the FA’s coaching set-up in his role as head of senior elite coach development. This involved directing the UEFA Pro licence coaching badge.
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Ryan Giggs, who is still deciding to accept a role at United under new manager Jose Mourinho, was just one of several big names to gain their coaching badges under Peacock’s tutelage.
Having conquered international competition twice, a return to Derby and club football proved too hard to resist last summer as he joined another of his graduates Paul Clement at Pride Park as part of his backroom team.
The dup were both surprisingly sacked by the club in February, despite sitting fourth in the Championship, but that will not put a stain on the widely-respected Peacock’s reputation.
After several years of coaching the club’s youth sides, Nicky Butt was promoted to United’s head of academy earlier this year.
His move to bring in the experienced voice of Peacock, albeit in a part-time capacity initially, is just the latest step in the former United and England star’s revolutionising of the youth set-up at Carrington.