Brentford announce new academy director after Man United poached Stephen Torpey | OneFootball

Brentford have confirmed the appointment of Dave Rainford as their new academy director, replacing Stephen Torpey, who left the Bees in September to join Manchester United.

Jamie Greenwood stepped in as interim academy director after Torpey’s exit, while Brentford scoured the market for a permanent successor.

The Bees carried out interviews in January before deciding that Rainford was the right man to lead their academy into its next phase.

Greenwood is expected to remain at Brentford in a full-time position once Rainford officially begins his role in the spring, with the club keen to maintain their set-up.

Rainford arrives in West London with plenty of experience in youth development. Since 2020, he has worked at the Premier League as head of education and academy player care.

In that role, he supported academies across the country, helping young players carve out clear pathways from the grassroots level to professional football.

Even as an academy director, Rainford brings a diverse background to the job, having experienced the game from inside as a former midfielder.

While turning out for Dagenham & Redbridge in 2008, he was also teaching at a local school in Barking.

He was the only semi-professional player in the Football League at some point, balancing life in the classroom with life on the pitch.

Earlier in his career, he also served as assistant manager at Chelmsford City during the 2012/13 season.

With Rainford’s experience in player development and education, Brentford will hope he can guide the academy forward and help produce the next generation of talent for the club.

Speaking on Rainford’s appointment, director of football Phil Giles said: “On behalf of everyone at Brentford, I’d like to welcome Dave to the club.

“Everyone I spoke to during the recruitment process spoke extremely highly of Dave and his work at the Premier League over recent years – he is an extremely impressive person.”

David Rainford added: “I’m incredibly proud and excited to be joining Brentford.

“The club’s culture, ambition and values strongly resonate with me, and I’m highly motivated by the opportunity to lead an Academy that embodies that identity, both on and off the pitch.”