Arseblog News – the Arsenal news site
Arsenal have confirmed that Liam Brady will step down from his duties at the club’s youth academy before May 2014.
The former Irish international, who played for the Gunners between 1973-80, became the Head of Youth Development and Academy Director in 1996 and will depart after 25 years service.
A statement on the club’s website reads:
Brady, 56, a former Republic of Ireland International midfielder who starred for the Gunners in the 1970s, has established Arsenal’s academy as one of the leaders in the game over the past 17 years. He has now given early notification of his desire to leave his role in order to help recruit a successor and ensure an orderly handover period.
Brady had a glittering playing career, starring for Arsenal in the 1970s before moving to Italy, where he enjoyed spells with Juventus, Sampdoria, Inter Milan and Ascoli. He finished his playing career with West Ham United. He also had spells as a manager with Celtic and Brighton and Hove Albion, and more recently assistant manager with the Republic of Ireland.
During his time as Arsenal’s head of youth development and the academy, he has been responsible for developing numerous professional players including Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs. The Club will be discussing potential roles with Brady to ensure he stays involved.
Speaking about Brady’s planned departure, Ivan Gazidis spoke warmly about the Irishman’s extraordinary commitment to the Arsenal cause:
“Liam has a deep understanding of what it takes to discover and develop a talented youngster into someone who can perform at the highest level. He has made a massive contribution to Arsenal Football Club. It will be difficult to find a worthy successor but we will be looking for someone who can build on what Liam and his team have created.”
Interestingly there’s no comment from Arsene Wenger as of yet although it goes without saying the boss will have warm words to say about a man with whom he has worked so closely throughout the entirety of his time at Arsenal.
It’s a sad day in the eyes of Arseblog News but with potentially 16 months before he finally leaves we’ve plenty of time for a toast or two. Whatever he has planned we wish him all the best. It must be good if he’s already thinking about it…
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oh sad news.
Get Dennis!
Bergkamp the talent maker
.
I personally feel Bergkamp should in the future take up a position with the senior team, rather than head youth coach. But that’s my personal opinion, I’m sure he’ll come back to the club in some capacity anyway.
I agree Maximus. Head of Youth Development is a long term role, I wonder how much time he actually gets on the training pitch,. Thats where I would like to see Dennis, on the pitch
Dennis and Marc! Our two Dutch Supremos!
Overmars can sod off.
Overmars is forging a good career as a football executive – no doubt his knowledge of the game would be of benefit to an Arsenal board which lacks something in that department
DB10 Pleeeeease
A loyal gentleman and extraordinary youth coach. I am sure he will stick around in some capacity. Like Pat, Arsenal is in his blood and it is hard to 100% walk away from something you invest so much energy and passion into. Thanks for everything so far Liam.
One of my all time favourite players.
When he scored ‘that goal’ at Spurs when we won 5 – 0 in 1978ish I was standing on the terrace as the ball swerved into the top corner and if the net hadn’t been there, I was right in line to catch it.
A real Arsenal man to the core.
Again? Hope it’s not to Juve this time. Some retirement arsenal home or something would be ideal. Stapleton and malconald will be waiting.
If you feel the need to type something stupid, at least spell “MacDonald” correctly.
Superhero.
Get Dennis? Pffffffft.. It’s probably going to be Mad Jens who takes over. He is back at Arsenal to take up his coaching badges no? I’d love to see that.
Look at that!
Oh, look at that!
An arsenal legend. However I don’t think the arsenal academy produced enough talent to be recruited into the first team. Granted this takes time. Its has been 25 years.The Ajax system in the 90s, man united( scholes and beckham generation) and currently the Barcelona academy are examples. Arsenal has been unable to compete in transfer market for the past 7 year, a very good youth system would have mitigated some of these losses. Our manager had to rely on our scouting system to identify 16 year olds who are Almoust developed to make the leap foward into the first team, and to further develop the due to our inept academy. I am hopeful, jack is a diamond. Now let’s get more of him.
Surely your expectations are way too high. If you can produce a jack wilshere once every ten years you are well well ahead of the game!
I think the key thing was changing the academy from one that produced players who ended up scuttling about the 2nd, 3rd divisions to one that could produce players for Arsenal but also players who could play at the highest level and earn money for the club.
Academies are expensive and very few players make it to the first team. It’s easier now at Arsenal because the standard isn’t as ridiculously high as it used to be, but look at the players who have come through our youth set-up and gone on to have successful (some not so much) Premier League careers:
Steve Sidwell, David Bentley (who made us a fortune when Sp*rs paid £15m for him, haha), Leon Britton (Swansea), Seb Larsson, Cuntley Cunt, Matthew Upson, Bartley (Swansea), Havard Nordveidt (Monchengladbach), Justin Hoyte (Boro) etc.
I’m sure there are more, but the standard of player the academy produces is far, far higher than it used to be – and the standard required in general in professional football is higher too.
More like Lansbury, JET, Özyakup, Sunu etc could all have decent careers too, depending how much they want it
I do think Brady’s done a good job, but let’s remember that the Arsenal have always been a club that have produced good talent from within and given a fair few a shot. Right from, Kennedy and Charlie George, to Graham’s young gunners and technically Chippy himself!…It’s not that new. We produce good players every generation
Not again Liam! Thanks for everything.
Bergkamp would be great for this role. A product of probably the greatest youth set up of its time.
Waahhhh
Perhaps we didn’t clap him hard enough at Brighton on Saturday ?
Hopefully the man is heading off to a well deserved retirement, and at least we have over a year to get used to the idea.
Its scary that despite all of the heroes of the last few years (Henry, Bergkamp, Adams and the like), Liam is still the guy who I associate most with Arsenal, but then he has been connected with the club for as long as I can remember. You could say the same for Pat Rice, as he bridged doubles from 71 to now, but I was lucky to be growing up during Liam’s glory years.
A true legend.
Sad news but hopefully we get an understudy in asap so they can learn from him and keep the production line going. Bergy would be an option as he knows the Ajax system. But if that is not possible, then we need someone that knows the club and/or has played under Wenger. Adams, Dixon, Winterburn, …
LOOK AT THAT!….OHHHH…LOOK AT THAT! WHAT A GOAL FROM BRADY!!….nuff said.
A cultured man with a supremely cultured left foot. I’m in no doubt that he leaves us having substantially improved the youth set-up, I also think it’s clear that Brady and Wenger worked well together to improve the infrastructure of th club in general. Good luck I say and I’m glad he’ll have a significant part to play in his successors appointment whomever that may db
An Arsenal legend and I hope he plays a part of the new arsenal as we move forward. Let’s hope we bring somebody of the same calibre to fill those very special boots.
He’s only 56?? Looks older. Anyway, he is a true Arsenal legend, I hope we get a proper replacement for him, Dennis Bergkamp would be great, he is very intelligent.
Less editorializing that insinuates something negative, please.
“[b]Interestingly[/b] there’s no comment from Arsene Wenger as of yet although it goes without saying the boss will have warm words to say about a man with whom he has worked so closely throughout the entirety of his time at Arsenal.”
I find this kind of “reporting” grating. There is nothing at all interesting about Wenger not commenting on this news at this time. I’m sure all of his focus is on the game this evening, as one would expect.
Always heard great stories about Brady. Wasn’t around when he was waltzing past men but helped get us Jack & Kieran. Not a popular opinion but I’d love Martin Keown as Director, he’s got a lot if poise in him since he retured. Would prefer Dennis in a more coaching based role simply because if his knowledge of the game & what he’s done in that capacity at Ajax
Rumour has it he doesn’t get on with that cunt wenger and they haven’t spoke for a few years. Chippy probably told one of the youth strikers to have a shot from outside the box. Tut tut chippy, not allowed. Total legend though, one of my favourite ever players.
“that cunt wenger”……FUCK OFF, ur the cunt! For all his sin’s Wenger is still our manager and regardless of his situation, one of the best. FUCK OFF, how DARE u call Wenger a C**t. FUCK OFF.
People like you are the real problem with Arsenal.
Left foot Legend!
Fuck sake. Another Arsenal great leaving. Didn’t want pat rice to leave either. Are they leaving a sinking ship?
Lets bring in Nwankwo Kanu…. GENIUS!
Actually.. Lets be unique and bring in a TEAM of managers! Kanu, Robert Pires! Thierry Henry, Sir Dennis of The Bergkamps, Adams and Keown… Cover most bases.. Would’ve added Vieira in there too but he fucked us off the shit!
Legand