Calvert Appointed Head of Academy at Bradford City FC
Football
Photo: Bradford City AFC
Bradford City AFC have appointed Tom Calvert as the club’s new head of academy.
Calvert, who has been in the role on an interim basis for the last seven months, has guided City’s academy through its first full PGAAC audit (Professional Game Academy Audit Company) for several years.
A boyhood Bantams season-ticket holder, he joined the club in 2019 within the youth development phase, part-time, while he completed his studies before being appointed head of psychology and player care in 2022.
During this time he worked closely with the late, great Neil Matthews and played a key role in developing the culture of the academy and the off-pitch provision provided to players.
He has a degree in sport and exercise psychology from Loughborough University and a master’s degree in the psychology of sport and exercise from Leeds Beckett University.
Calvert said:
It is an honour to lead the academy at my boyhood club. There have been some incredible people who have driven the standards at the academy over the past decade to where it is now, and I am very excited about what we can achieve in the years to come.
“I have gained valuable experience having a taste for the role already, during which we have been rebuilding after a period of staff transition. We are now in a place where we can hit the ground running."
“My role will be focused on finding the best possible players and staff from the local area and creating an elite development culture which brings success. We have shown that this is possible from what has been achieved over the past five years and we are excited for what the next crop of players and staff can achieve working for this great club.”
Head of football operations, David Sharpe added:
Tom has impressed everyone with how he has performed as interim head of academy, so we are really pleased to appoint him to the position permanently.
“He brings a huge amount of enthusiasm to the role and we believe he will take the academy forward in what is an exciting time for the football club.Tom’s commitment to the academy has been unwavering and we know he is the best person to not only continue, but to enhance the positive, hard-working culture of the academy. He is someone who embodies everything that we stand for.”