Our special guest this year played for Manchester United, Manchester City and then in the United States in the old NASL. He has been with United since 1990, serving first as a coach, then as deputy head of the academy, and currently as an advisor to the academy development program. Having worked under managers such as Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, Tony is deeply rooted in United’s history and culture and has mentored hundreds of players from youth to professional.

He has over twenty years of experience in professional football, alongside his role as a sports researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University. Rick has conducted significant studies for Manchester United FC, the Football Association of Wales, and the Professional Footballers’ Association. He is a recognized leader in youth football development, skill acquisition, and small-sided games, both at the professional and grassroots levels, through the project Give Us Back Our Game. At the same time, he works as a scout across Europe and the USA and serves as an academy auditor for City Football Group.

A prominent German sports scientist and professor, known for developing the Differential Learning System (DLS). He specializes in biomechanics, motor learning, and training science, and his approach has been adopted by top football coaches such as Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel, and Arteta. Wolfgang Schöllhorn earned his PhD in biomechanics from the University of Frankfurt in 1990. He has held academic and lecturing positions around the world and is currently a full professor at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.

He started football at his hometown club, F.C. Bihor Oradea, before moving to Nantes in 2003. Over the next eleven years in France, he amassed 240 appearances and 67 goals for five clubs in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. In 2014, Keșerü returned to Romania, signing with defending champion Steaua Bucharest. His career included a brief spell at Al-Gharafa in Qatar before joining Ludogorets Razgrad in 2015. Here he scored more than 110 goals in the first league and won the title of the competition’s top scorer on several occasions, consolidating his status as the most prolific foreign player in the history of Bulgarian football. In 2021, he returned to Steaua Bucharest, which has since been renamed FCSB, marking a nostalgic homecoming for the experienced striker. After leaving FCSB, Keșerü signed a contract with UTA Arad and is currently developing professionally to pursue an administrative career in football.

He has worked at Manchester United’s academy as head coach and in his 24 years at the club, he has helped develop players such as Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck and Axel Tuanzebe. As head coach of the U18 team, he won the FA Youth Cup trophy in 2011 with a squad that included Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, and Ravel Morrison. After leaving United in 2016, he spent 4 years as the English Football Association’s national coach trainer before joining Leicester City’s academy in 2021 as head of player development. Paul currently works as a consultant and is a mentor to both coaches and players. A UEFA Pro licensed coach, Paul is the son of former Manchester United player and manager Wilf McGuinness.

With extensive experience in both Romanian and Austrian football, Sandu Tăbîrcă has served as a Federal Coach and Director of Development Program Implementation within the Romanian Football Federation, playing a key role in the coordination and rollout of national youth development programs.

He is currently the Technical Director at Universitatea Cluj, a top-tier Romanian club, where he continues to contribute to the club’s growth. His role involves overseeing and coordinating technical, strategic, and training activities, ensuring that the team benefits from the best practices and modern training methodologies.

His vast experience and dedication to promoting excellence in football make Sandu Tăbîrcă a key figure in the Romanian football landscape.

Using constraint-based approaches, ecological and differential learning, Jake supports contemporary training methods, enabling players to excel both on and off the field. Having come through the ranks of esteemed football clubs, Jake has gained a wealth of experience in various phases of player development. His background includes roles as pre-academy football coach at Southampton Football Club, Academy coach at Charlton Athletic Football Club and Academy coach for the induction phase at Crystal Palace. Most recently, Jake served as Development Phase Coach at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, where he continued to refine his coaching philosophy and methodology.

A dynamic person with a wealth of experience in both football coaching and sports education. With a background that includes being a sports teacher at Cheshire College and in charge of the pre-academy and grassroots phases at Wellington Phoenix F.C., Jesse brings a unique perspective to his presentations.

During his time at Wellington Phoenix F.C., Jesse played an integral role in the development of young players, laying the foundation for their success both on and off the field. His experience in the pre-academy and grassroots phases gives him a deep understanding of the fundamentals of player development and the importance of a holistic approach to coaching.

Passionate about youth development and football, Zsombor plays a crucial role in guiding and mentoring academy players, helping them navigate their post-academy careers while staying connected to the DVSC community. His commitment to nurturing talent and maintaining long-term relationships highlights the academy’s mission to develop not only skilled athletes but also well-rounded individuals.

Zsombor’s expertise in social relations and mentoring is invaluable in creating a positive and cohesive atmosphere at DVSC Labdarúgó Akadémia, contributing to the overall success and reputation of the institution.