The Tigers legend was handed a new job during a summer of change at the MKM Stadium
Andy Dawson says he’s relishing his new role at Hull City, as he looks to help smooth the passage for players coming through from the academy to first team.
Dawson, who spent last season as assistant manager on the coaching staff under Tim Walter and then Ruben Selles, has now moved to oversee the club’s youngsters and their transition into first-team football providing a vital link from the academy to Sergej Jakirovic’s first team.
Already this summer, City have seen Cathal McCarthy and Nathan Tinsdale make their Championship debuts, while Pharell Brown was one of the youngsters who impressed during pre-season.
Another key part of Dawson’s role is keeping tabs on the players City have out on loan, which include the likes of Mason Burstow at Bolton Wanderers, Matty Jacob at Reading and Thimothee Lo-Tutala just across Yorkshire at Doncaster Rovers.
“My role is as head of player development, so we started having a discussion last year with Jared (Dublin, sporting director) about what the club needed in certain areas in certain departments,” Dawson told the 1904 Club as he revealed what his new position looks like.
“We had a few chats about it on the way we can help develop everything from the younger players when they come up to the first team, and how we can help that middle ground, and whose responsibility will it be to help them, whose responsibility is it to give them what they need and when they need it?
“It’s something that’s probably been missing over the years, it’s something that I probably recognised when I came from the Under-21s into the first team.
“Jared and the club have been brilliant in terms of talking about it first and foremost, which is the first thing to progress things forward. In the summer, I had a chat with Jared, and he offered me the position. It’s something that the club’s never had before. Jared asked me to lead it and add things to it because it’s something that we’re trying to develop, and I’ve really enjoyed it.
“We’ve had a lot of young players up during pre-season that went to Turkey and have generally been in and around the first team on a daily basis, which is a real positive for the club as well. I’ve got to say the manager and the staff have been brilliant with that.
“My connection to the academy, I’ll go down to the academy probably once or twice a week, so I’ll see the Under-18s that are playing, speak to the Under-18s coaches and staff.
“I speak to Conor (Sellars) regularly with the Under-21s, and we’re now building that stepping stone so that I can come back here (to Cottingham) and report to the first team staff and go X, Y, and Z are doing really well, we need to challenge them. Can we get them up for a day?
“Can we give them that experience that maybe they weren’t getting or that connection maybe we didn’t have? Hopefully, we’ll progress and the club will progress going forward.”
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