Friedkin Group to plug vital Everton hole as Dean Rastrick talks emerge
Everton are in talks with Dean Rastrick about becoming their next Academy Manager.
Rastrick had previously worked as Tottenham’s Academy Manager in a 13-year spell in North London, and now looks set to take up that role at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Norwich City’s current Head of Football Development is being lined up by the Friedkin Group, according to a report from Training Ground Guru on 5 March.
The ownership has made several moves to bolster their leadership structure off the pitch, and this is just another one.
What other moves have Friedkins made at Everton
Chris Chiang was hired as the Head of Football Planning in late February, which was a clever move to try to benefit the club in the long run.
Everton’s senior leadership team now comprises of Nick Cox, Director of Scouting and Recruitment, James Smith, Head of Football Strategy and Analytics, Chris Howarth, Head of Player Trading, Nick Hammond.
| Name | Role |
| Chris Chiang | Head of Football Planning |
| Angus Kinnear | CEO |
| Nick Cox | Technical Director |
| James Smith | Director of Scouting and Recruitment |
| Chris Howarth | Head of Football Strategy and Analytics |
| Nick Hammond | Head of Player Trading |
They seem to keep on adding to the boardroom team, as they seek every type of advantage and getting Rastrick in would give them another.
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Who is currently heading Everton’s academy, and what will Rastrick bring?
Carl Darlington is currently serving as interim Academy Manager with the Toffees, after Gareth Prosser left his post to join Al Jazira in July 2025.
Darlington was previously Head of Coaching and initially joined the Blues in October 2022, having worked with the Football Association for 17 years before that.
Rastrick will bring top-flight experience in the role, having served in it at Spurs, and it is the latest sign of the ownership trying to better the staff at Everton, after several smart off-field moves already.
The lack of a permanent academy manager is a huge hole and it looks like they are finally set to plug it, after relying on Darlington to step up for seven months.
Perhaps the fact that they have waited for the Norwich chief shows that they have done their due diligence and looked for the best option for the role, rather than settling for anybody to take over.
Hopefully, it brings David Moyes more options from the academy that can play in the Premier League in the near future.
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