MK Dons are pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Goodman as the Football Club’s new Academy Manager.
Goodman, 47, boasts a wealth of footballing experience having enjoyed a successful playing career before moving into coaching.
He will join the Club on 8 April from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, where he is currently working as Assistant Head of Player Development for their Under-16 to Under-23 age groups.
Goodman replaces Mike Dove, who served as Academy Manager from 2004 until 2018.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be here at MK Dons,” Goodman told mkdons.com. “I am both honoured and excited to be the Club’s new Academy Manager.
“It was a difficult decision to leave Tottenham Hotspur but once I had met with Pete Winkelman, Paul Tisdale and Andrew Cullen, I was immediately struck by the passion and vision that they shared.
“The Academy here has a fantastic reputation and I am looking forward to working with Simon Dwight and all the staff in our drive to produce high-quality home-grown players for the first team.”
Goodman’s playing career spanned 10 years and saw him play over 150 games for Millwall and Wimbledon, and earn four international caps for Republic of Ireland.
After retiring from playing in 2000, he immediately went on to qualify for a first-class sports science degree, working in sports science roles at a number of Premier League clubs as well as running his own sports science consultancy business.
Goodman then moved into coaching and his experiences include spells as Academy Manager at Notts County and Manager of the Nike Academy, where he helped several young players towards a career in the professional game.
Executive Director Andrew Cullen said of Goodman’s appointment: “After an extensive and thorough recruitment search, we are delighted to announce and confirm the appointment of Jon Goodman as our new Academy Manager.
“We have chosen Jon, who has a wealth of experience in coaching, developing players and in operational management, to lead the Academy through what promises to be a most exciting stage in the club’s development.”
Simon Dwight, who has served as Interim Academy Manager since the departure of Mike Dove, will remain with the Football Club after accepting an offer to become Assistant Academy Manager.
Andrew Cullen added: “I would like to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to Simon Dwight for continuing as Interim Academy Manager whilst we completed the search for the permanent role.
“During this time, Simon has successfully steered the Academy through a critical audit process and resulting in our Academy licence being awarded for a further period.
“Simon’s wholehearted commitment and dedication to this interim role is much appreciated and we are delighted that Simon has accepted the offer to become our new Assistant Academy Manager.”
