Simon Wiles was appointed as the new U18 Liverpool team coach. The young coach will take on the role of Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, who left the club at the end of the season before after a decade of attachment.
Wiles will work with the page, the former Wales team coach, who was appointed as the coach of Liverpool U21 team in June. Together, they will lead the development of young players in the young club of the club, ensuring a smooth transition from the academy football to a professional level.
Wiles's football career has helped him gain a lot of experience in many different roles in lower tournaments, both as players and coaches. He started his career as a player with Blackpool, then had time to play for MacClesfield Town, Dunfermline Athletic and Barrow. However, his career played short due to injury, which led him to the training.
Wiles's training journey started at amateur level with Bamber Bridge, where he was assistant coach before moving to Fleetwood Town. At Fleetwood, he excelled in many roles, including the U18 coach and the first team coach. In January 2021, he was appointed a temporary coach of Fleetwood's first team after the departure of Joey Barton.
In July 2022, Wiles joined Salford City as the first team coach and in September 2023, he was assigned to be in charge of the temporary coach in a short time.
Wiles's most recent role before joining Liverpool is at MU, where he was appointed as the head coach of U14 team in September 2022. During his working time at MU, Wiles worked with some academy coaches including Justin Cochane, Paul McShane and Neil Wood.
LFC Academy Director Alex Inglethorpe shared with Liverpoolfc.com: “Simon is a highly appreciated young coach and I am very happy when he agrees to take on an important role in the Academy as the head of the U18 team. This is an important development period for young players towards professionalism and I believe that Simon's experience has helped him to become a good candidate for this role as this role.”
“He has worked in age groups at Fleetwood and Blackpool, with a lot of professional football experience at Salford – most recently working at a first -class academy at MU. That skill set for us when we find ways to help our players promote their potential and hope to transfer to higher levels.”
