Cambridge United are delighted to announce that Tom Pell has been confirmed as the Club’s new Academy Manager, with Mark Bonner vacating the position to take up a permanent first team coaching role.
Tom has been with the U’s since 2006, where he played a key role in the reformation of the Club’s youth scheme.
He has been a major cog across a 12 year period in the development of Cambridge United’s Academy, including its progression to Category Three status and its output of young, talented and hard-working players, which include the likes of Leon Davies, Harry Darling and Matt Foy who have all represented the first team and earned professional contracts within the last 18 months.
Cambridge United Head of Football, Ben Strang, commented: “It was a unanimous and straightforward decision to promote Tom to the role of Academy Manager. His commitment over almost 12 years to the Club is unrivalled and as a result he fully embodies the values of Cambridge United.
“Having led each phase within the Academy, Tom already has an extensive knowledge of the players within our system.
“Tom now has the ideal situation of leading an already thriving set-up, which is in no small part down to Mark Bonner’s outstanding leadership.”
Pell will step into the Academy Manager role that has been vacated by Mark Bonner, whose first team coaching position has been made permanent by the Football Club with immediate effect.
Since first joining United in June 2011, Mark has held a number of positions within the Academy, managing it on two occasions as well as guiding the U’s through two audits in the process.
In January, Mark assumed the position of First Team Coach in order to manage the transition of young players from Academy to the senior team, and he has also since taken up the mantle of Interim Assistant Head Coach.
Ben Strang concluded: “We must thank Mark for his dedication and relentless drive to improve the Academy. He has been assisted by an outstanding group of staff in ensuring that we strive to compete above our natural level and continue to be an extremely well regarded Category Three Academy.
“Mark’s deserved recognition of a First Team coaching position now enables Tom with the opportunity to progress us further. We are excited to see the next stage of the Academy as it continues to evolve.”