Baines among three big academy appointments at Everton | OneFootball

Everton have named three appointments to their academy staff.

Gareth Prosser has become new Academy Director, Paul Tait the U21s head coach and former Blues player Leighton Baines the U18s head coach.

The changes have been overseen by Kevin Thelwell, who took charge as Everton's new director of football in February and are also understood to be part of the club's strategic review into football operations. Prosser worked with Thelwell at Wolves.

On Tait and Baines' new roles, Thelwell said: “Paul has been working within our Academy for more than a decade and has an excellent reputation as a coach. I am delighted that when benchmarked against other candidates, he was the outstanding choice to become our new Under-21 Head Coach.

“I am pleased to be able to give Paul the opportunity to lead at Under-21 level and I am certain he will do an excellent job in developing players for our First Team. Despite Leighton being at the very start of his coaching journey, he has already demonstrated a high level of coaching capability and awareness around what players need to progress through the pathway.

“These characteristics, among others, made him a standout candidate to become Under-18s Head Coach. Our young players will not only benefit from his outstanding experiences as a player but also his commitment to developing young players for the next stage of their careers."