Vito Mannone takes Brighton academy goalkeeper coach role after Ligue 1 and MLS spells | OneFootball

Former Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone has been appointed academy goalkeeper coach at Brighton & Hove Albion, marking a return to English football after spells in Ligue 1 and MLS.

The player said in a post that he had started the role on a full-time basis with the Seagulls’ academy.

The 37-year-old has moved swiftly into coaching after more than two decades as a professional, and will work on developing Brighton’s next crop of goalkeepers. On LinkedIn he outlined his ambitions and passion for elite academy development, team culture, resilience and mentorship.

Mannone joined Sunderland from Arsenal in July 2013 and became first choice during survival campaigns. In the 2014 League Cup semi-final at Old Trafford he saved two penalties against Manchester United to send Sunderland to Wembley. That season he won Supporters’ Player of the Year and Player of the Year.

He remained central in 2015-16 under Sam Allardyce as Sunderland stayed up with a 3-0 home win over Everton. He signed a new two-year deal in 2016, then departed for Reading the following summer.

He later joined Minnesota United, earning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2019, before further spells in Denmark and France. In Ligue 1 he represented Monaco, Lorient and Lille, and saved two penalties at the Stade Vélodrome against Marseille in January 2025.

Mannone now starts a new chapter in coaching at Brighton, whose academy is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s leading set-ups.

Source: Sunderland Echo