New coach quit Manchester United to join Arsenal after only 3 months | OneFootball

Earlier this week, we reported David Horseman’s arrival at Arsenal. It has now been revealed he quit Manchester United after only three months to take the job.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Earlier this week we brought you the news that Arsenal had appointed David Horseman as elite player development coach, responsible for leading the Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League and managing the Under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

It has now emerged that Horseman quit Manchester United after only three months in their academy to take up the role in north London.

Manchester Evening News 21 September 2025

Horseman joined United in the summer as assistant manager of the Under-21s, but his stay was short-lived.

At Arsenal, his appointment forms part of a reshuffle that gives Max Porter sole responsibility for Premier League 2 and Adam Birchall for the Under-18 Premier League, while Horseman covers the U19 and U21 sides in Europe and the EFL Trophy respectively.

There had been interest in bringing Jack Wilshere back in a similar position earlier in the summer, but he declined the role to continue pursuing first-team management.

Arsenal have now turned to Horseman, who has previously coached at Southampton, Watford, Bristol Rovers and Forest Green Rovers as well as United.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining the Arsenal academy,” Horseman said.

Photo via Arsenal.com

“It’s a fantastic opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to supporting the development of the players while also leading the UEFA Youth League and EFL Trophy teams. I can’t wait to get started and contribute to the exciting work already being done here at Arsenal.”

This latest detail adds context to Arsenal’s move, with Horseman choosing to walk away from United’s academy project after only a brief spell in order to join the Gunners.