ALDERSHOT Town have appointed Ross McNeilly as the club’s new academy manager.

McNeilly, 34, a UEFA B Licence-qualified coach who hopes to gain his A qualification in the near future, arrives after more than five years as head of the Merrist Wood College football development centre in Guildford.

He has combined that full-time role – in which he manages over 60 players across three squads playing at the highest levels of college football – with coaching the Surrey U18 squad and being an official FA mentor and tutor with the Surrey and Middlesex FAs.

Previous roles include U15 and U16 coach at Woking, schools coaching for Leeds United, and BTEC sports tutor with the Sunderland AFC Foundation.

McNeilly holds a sports science degree from Leeds University and a PGCE in further education from the University of Huddersfield.

“I’m delighted to join Aldershot Town and cannot wait to get started,” he said. “I’m excited to drive the academy forward and help it reach the next level, and particularly look forward to engaging and working with local players.

“I want to work hard to develop exceptional players who can push on and reach the first team here, but it’s also important to make players employable, give them a good education and maximise their chances to progress in football and their chosen industry after their studies.”