Everton have appointed Dean Rastrick as their new academy manager and are bringing Neil Dewsnip back to the club.
Everton have appointed Dean Rastrick as the club’s new academy director.
Rastrick will join the Blues on June 1 and oversee all aspects of the club’s academy, implementing the strategy across all age groups, focusing on developing talent, building a quality environment and creating pathways into the first team.
But he is not the only new chosen one. Neil Dewsnip returns to the club to provide support from the men’s, women’s and academy departments with advice.
An experienced school leader with a proven track record in English football, Rastrick began his football career as a youth development specialist at Luton Town aged 19, before moving to Derby County, where he was head of youth development.
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He then spent four years at Norwich City, as assistant headmaster. In 2010, he joined Tottenham Hotspur, working his way up from director of academy operations to director of academy, eventually taking overall responsibility for the club’s curriculum.
During his 13 years at Spurs, Rastrick oversaw a great deal of success for the school, including winning the Under-17 U18 Premier League Cup in his final season, and the club produced many talented players who went on to enjoy careers in the Premier League, European football and the wider professional game, including Troy Parrott, Noni Madueke, Harry Winks, Marcus Edwards, Marcus Edwards. Kyle Walker-Peters.
In 2023, Rastrick joined the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC) as a leadership and management auditor, before returning to Norwich for a second spell as head of football development.
On his appointment, Rastrick said: “I feel privileged to be joining this incredible team and school at such an exciting time in its history.
“Everton is renowned for its record of developing young talent and, with the help and support of everyone at Finch Farm, I am relishing the challenge of building on the solid foundations that are already in place.
“I know there are talented and committed people at Everton. Part of my role will be to create an environment within the academy that supports and allows players and staff to grow and evolve and, ultimately, perform at the highest possible level.”
Everton technical director Nick Cox, who led the extensive recruitment process, added: “We are delighted to welcome Dean to Everton.
“The role of the school director is very important to our football structure, so we needed to do a thorough recruitment process to identify someone with the right qualities to take our school forward.
“Dean is an expert in his field who has spent all his time in youth development, working across English football, with Luton Town, Derby County and Norwich.
“However, I think the best part is the work he did for 13 years at Spurs, where he not only worked with outstanding players during that time, but also developed a reputation for developing staff.
“We are building a wonderful learning environment that is challenging, supportive but at the same time, creates memorable experiences for the young people in our care.
Interim Superintendent Carl Darlington will continue to lead the school until Rastrick begins his new role on June 1.
Cox added: “I’d like to thank Carl for doing a fantastic job leading the Academy on an interim basis. His knowledge, skills and work ethic have been invaluable during this time.”
Dewsnip will also work closely with the academy in his capacity as an advisor to the Ccub’s football leadership team.
With extensive experience in youth development and top-level football, Dewsnip previously spent 17 years in key leadership positions at Everton’s academy, coaching future England internationals Wayne Rooney, Ross Barkley, Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell.
He then joined the FA, working as a technical leader for England’s development teams, before linking up with Plymouth Argyle, initially as a consultant before rising to become sporting director.
Cox said: “I’ve spent time with Neil over the years and I have a lot of respect for what he has achieved in the game.
“He understands Everton and will have an important role to play in ensuring we work in line with the club’s heritage and values, as we look to implement new ideas and keep pace with the latest innovations.
“He will share his technical expertise in coaching, player development and program delivery, as well as acting as a staff consultant and providing game and match previews.
“We have started to benefit from Neil’s input as he was part of the panel that led the academy director recruitment process, and is also providing advisory support to Scott Phelan following his appointment as Everton Women’s interim manager.
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