The FA has appointed Rhys Long as their new head of performance analysis and insight, and he will join the organisation on 1 February.
Based at the National Football Centre, St. George’s Park, Long will oversee a team of 17 analysts to support England’s national development teams - from Men and Women’s U15s through to Under-21s - leading on the provision of a dedicated technical expertise and insight service to help support team performance.
Long has spent the previous nine years working with the Wales rugby union (WRU) team, having joined them in August 2007 from London Wasps, where his role was to lead a three-man analysis team supporting not only the Wales national team but the entire elite performance structure in Wales, from national age grade sides to Rugby Sevens and elite referees.
Long said: “I would like to thank the WRU and management for the past eight years. We have enjoyed unprecedented success with the national squad and that is something I am privileged to have been a part of.
“Joining The FA is an opportunity that I am thoroughly looking forward to and I’m really excited about being part of a bright and successful future for England’s development teams.
"Overseeing the analysis, structures and pathways of each squad brings great responsibility for me and my colleagues, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Head of team strategy & performance, Dave Reddin, said the appointment of Long outlines The FA’s commitment to the investment of dedicated support around the England teams.
He said: “When we announced our philosophy we were stating our long-term ambition for all of our England teams to be successful on the pitch - a key part of that is ensuring we have a world-class support mechanism behind that at St. George’s Park, to give us the best chance of success in the future.
"Rhys’s background in analysis and insight speaks for itself, and he will bring a wealth of experience from his successes in Welsh rugby. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
