We are excited to announce Josh Law has been appointed our new Academy Manager, making the step up from Professional Development Phase Coach.
In addition, Rory McArdle will remain at the club having retired from his playing career, taking Law’s previous position as Professional Development Phase Coach.
Law takes the role of the departing Paul Stansfield, who had held the position of Academy Manager since our Academy’s creation in 2021, to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Stansfield had played a huge part in establishing the club’s Academy over the previous two years and we would like to place on record our gratitude for his outstanding work.
Josh Law takes up the vacant role having first joined the club in January 2022, leading our Academy side to a historic Youth Alliance title in just his first full season in charge.
Law will be working closely with new Professional Development Phase Coach McArdle, who takes up the position just over a month after calling time on an established playing career that spanned over 19 years, included over 400 Football League appearances and ended with a two-year spell at Harrogate Town.
“I’ve tried to learn as much as possible over my career from the staff I’ve been around and for this opportunity to come at a club like Harrogate is something I’m delighted about, it was something I couldn’t turn down.” Explained McArdle.
“As a club it’s important we try and develop our own players and hopefully my experience can continue that, if I can keep pushing them on and continue to drive those standards up building on last year then we can keep everything moving forward.
”When I was an Academy player you did things properly, worked hard there were no cutting corners because you couldn’t get away with it, so that’s what I’ll be expecting. It’s a short apprenticeship so the lads have got to make the most of it, by training as hard as they can and doing everything to the best of their ability, that’s what I want to drive into them.
“Working with Josh is one of the things I’m really looking forward to, it’s my first coaching role so I’m starting afresh and will be learning along the way, Josh is someone I can learn from, get feedback from and we can look at how things can improve collectively.”
We would like to wish both Josh and Rory every success in their new role.