Huddersfield Town have announced that Under 19s head coach Dean Whitehead has left the club in order to take up a first coaching role at League One side Shrewsbury Town.
Whitehead initially joined the Terriers as a player in 2015, and after helping them win promotion to the Premier League in 2017, the former midfielder retired in 2018, having made a total of 63 appearances in all competitions for the Terriers.
Following the end of his playing career, Whitehead first worked alongside then-head coach David Wagner with Huddersfield's senior side, before switching his focus to the club's academy set-up, working behind the scenes with the club's Under 17s and then Under 19s teams.
Speaking to Huddersfield's official website about Whitehead's departure, the club's chairman Phil Hodgkinson confirmed they had received compensation for the 37-year-old, saying: “We are all disappointed to see Dean leave the Club, but he had ambitions to coach in First Team football and this was a good opportunity for him. We saw Dean as a valuable member of staff, so we worked hard to get suitable compensation for him.
“Our excellent Academy coaches will continue to work hard with our Under-19 and EDT sides until we appoint a replacement. We have a lot of good memories with Dean as a player and coach and wish him all the best for the future.”
Whitehead is set to join up with a Shrewsbury side who under manager Sam Ricketts, are currently 11th in League One, having won six and drawn six of their 16 league games so far this season.
Shrewsbury are next in action on Tuesday night, when they travel to Valley Parade to take on Bradford City in an FA Cup third-round replay.
The Verdict
I can understand Whitehead's reasoning behind this move.
Getting involved at first-team level - this experiencing the sort of atmosphere enjoyed during their playing career - is surely the ultimate aim for any coach.
As a result, moving to Shrewsbury does seem to a smart move for Whitehead to make in that sense, given the impressive start to life at the John Smith's Stadium made by the Cowley's means there may not have been such an opening at Huddersfield for Whitehead anytime soon.
With Shrewsbury currently looking well set in League One, it does seem as though they could be a useful club for Whitehead to lay the foundations for a coaching career going forward.