Neil Critchley replaces Michael Beale as Aston Villa Assistant Head Coach
Aston Villa announced on Thursday that Neil Critchley was appointed Assistant Head Coach of the first team.
Critchley’s hiring comes one day after Michael Beale left the post to take up the Head Coach position at Queens Park Rangers of the EFL Championship.
The 43-year-old arrives in Birmingham from Blackpool, where he guided the club to promotion from League One in 2020-21 and to a mid-table Championship finish in 2021-22.
Critchley is reunited with manager Steven Gerrard having served in various Liverpool academy roles since 2013. He spent time coaching the U-18s and U-23s and twice coached the Liverpool senior side; most notably against Villa in the Carabao Cup in 2019-20.
Beale departed Villa after arriving alongside Gerrard from Rangers. He helped the gaffer lead the Glasgow side to a Scottish Premier League title in 2020-21 before the duo moved to Villa in November.
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