Cardiff City have hired a new coach:

Cardiff City hire former Swansea City’s U18’s manager and copy Liverpool tactic to unearth future stars


Monday 16th October 2023


The Bluebirds have added to their coaching staff and created a new position in order to bridge the gap between the academy and the first team

Darren Davies who played for Port Talbot, Merthyr, Barry Town and Tiverton Town .

Davies was Swansea City’s U18 coach until a few months ago.


The Bluebirds have appointed Darren Davies to the role of individual development coach with the specific aim of improving players and upping that hit rate of evolving academy players into first teamers.

Davies, originally from Port Talbot, comes with a glittering CV and is highly thought of by those within the game. The 45-year-old played for the likes of Port Talbot and Forest Green before ending his playing career in Australia, when the coaching phase of his life really took off.

The Welshman began working at Melbourne Victory in its youth setup, with now Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglu the manager back then. Davies made such an impression on Postecoglu that he was added to his coaching staff when the Spurs boss got the Australia job. Davies also worked on the staff of former Liverpool and Cardiff striker Robbie Fowler at Brisbane Roar.
He returned to Wales in 2021 and entered Swansea City's youth setup, but after two years there he left in the summer and Cardiff designed a job role specifically that he would eventually fill. A big part of the Cardiff gig will be taking what is being described as an "elite training group" which will feature the best young talents from the academy as well as fringe players from the first team.

The idea is they will train together every Thursday with a view to facilitating a smoother transition between the academy and the first team and help first-team staff understand better where the top academy talents are in their journeys and how far away they are from entertaining senior football. Davies is understood to be running that with first-team coach Tom Ramasut, with sessions hoping to begin at the end of the month.

"Working with Erol Bulut and the first team staff has been important for me. It's great to have that link in place even though I work predominantly with the academy sides," Davies said.

"Tom Ramasut has been important for keeping that link and he's working hard with me to get the (elite) training group up and running, which the rest of the first team coaching staff have also been really open towards. We're hoping to get the training group up and running in the next few weeks and that's a project we are all excited for.

"Tom has been fantastic to work with. We've known each other a long time, having played together for Wales U15s when we were younger. Our paths have crossed many times and it's been great to reconnect with someone like him and to be on the same page with a shared goal in mind. Everyone involved is singing from the same hymn sheet.

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I guess it was wishful thinking from me that I was hoping Purse had finally gone when I read the headline

I guess it was wishful thinking from me that I was hoping Purse had finally gone when I read the headline

Ned I think this is the ultimate idea if purses results do not improve dramatically. I mean if he is not coaching the team to get the youngsters ready for moving up to first team there is no way in the world that he will not get sacked

Blimey Cardiff City thinking outside the box and having a plan

Good luck to the guy

I played with his father at afan lido in the old welsh league his dad also played for maesteg park

I guess it was wishful thinking from me that I was hoping Purse had finally gone when I read the headline

Ned I think this is the ultimate idea if purses results do not improve dramatically. I mean if he is not coaching the team to get the youngsters ready for moving up to first team there is no way in the world that he will not get sacked

Hopefully that's right Roger.

Because in my view, it's madness that he's stayed in the job this long.

Reply FB:

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I guess it was wishful thinking from me that I was hoping Purse had finally gone when I read the headline

Ned,


I still can’t believe Purse is still here.

I guess it was wishful thinking from me that I was hoping Purse had finally gone when I read the headline

Ned,


I still can’t believe Purse is still here.

Agree, it's unbelievable. Things need to get better very soon or he simply has to go.

I don't like Morison at all as a person, but to be fair he did a much better job with the U21s.

I know Darren very well and he will do a fantastic job.