When it comes to building a successful team in FM24, developing young players can save you a fortune in potential transfer fees. Bringing players through the youth ranks without having to spend a penny is a great feeling.
One member of your backroom staff who can play a significant role in young players’ development is the head of youth development, whose job it is to oversee the players in the teams below the first team.
The most important attributes of a head of youth development are the following:
- Working With Youngsters
- Judging Player Ability
- Judging Player Potential
Here are some of our favourite staff who can fulfil the role of head of youth development:
Helmut Jungheim (Unemployed, 2.5-star reputation)
The 63-year-old starts the game as a free agent and last worked as the head of youth development between 2016 and 2021 at Bayer Leverkusen.
He has the ideal attributes for a head of youth development, as his stats for the three critical areas for the job are high. However, he is also strong in other areas, such as Mental and People Management, which are both excellent attributes for any coach.
As he is unemployed at the beginning of the game, it is usually relatively easy to sign to bring him in. However, sometimes you have rivals for his signature, so you have to be quick to get him on board.
- Working With Youngsters 20
- Judging Player Ability 16
- Judging Player Potential 18
Pep Boada (Unemployed, 3.5 star reputation)
Like Jungheim, Boada begins the game as a free agent. The 61-year-old has worked in several areas of the game as a scout, youth coach, youth team manager and most recently, director of football at Granada until 2022.
That wealth of experience can only help his football knowledge. He has extensive knowledge of not just his native country, Spain, but also Belgium and the Netherlands.
This knowledge can be helpful when developing players from those countries. Boada’s attributes in the main areas needed for the job are strong, as are his Determination, Level of Discipline and Adaptability.
In short, he is the ideal candidate for the head of youth development role. He is not on cheap wages, but he is worth the extra cash if it’s in your budget.
- Working With Youngsters 20
- Judging Player Ability 18
- Judging Player Potential 19
Paolo Morganti (Juventus, 2.5-star reputation)
The Italian starts the game with Turin giants Juventus, and quite frankly, his all-around stats are outstanding. His 2.5-star rating belies his excellent attributes.
Not only does he have excellent stats to be a head of youth development, but he also has strong stats in areas such as Mental, Determination, Motivating and People management.
For me, Morganti is a no-brainer signing if you have the budget. However, one caveat is that he may be hard to prise away from Juventus, where he has worked since 2019. If he is willing to join your club, then don’t hesitate to bring him.
- Working With Youngsters 20
- Judging Player Ability 20
- Judging Player Potential 20
Ariel Paolorossi (Colo-Colo, 2.5-star reputation)
The experienced Argentine has worked as a head of youth development for nearly a decade and at Chilean giants Colo-Colo since 2019.
When it comes to stats, he is excellent when it comes to the three main outlined areas for a head of youth development role. However, not only that, but he is also strong in other areas, such as Adaptability, Determination and coaching Attacking.
The 59-year-old can be bought out of his contract for just £160,000, which is not much by most top-level clubs’ standards. The compensation fee is definitely worth paying.
- Working With Youngsters 20
- Judging Player Ability 19
- Judging Player Potential 18
Sebastian Pait (River Plate, 2.5-star reputation)
The 47-year-old has worked as a head of development in his native Argentina since 2018, first at Velez Sarsfield and then at his current club, River Plate. Before that, he was also a chief scout, which is a useful experience to have in order to judge a player’s ability.
Like his contemporaries on this list, his attributes for his current role are ideal. However, his other strong areas include Determination and People Management, which are two other attributes that can be useful to have as a head of youth development. His personality type of Perfectionist also fits the role well.
When I attempted to sign him at the start of the game, he wasn’t interested in joining my Everton team. However, if you do try to sign him, you will have to pay River Plate £250,000 in compensation.
- Working With Youngsters. 20
- Judging Player Ability 17
- Judging Player Potential 19
Maurizio Costanzi (Unemployed, 3 star reputation)
The 65-year-old left Atalanta in 2023, having worked for La Dea since 2015 as the head of youth development. He earned a considerable reputation in his homeland for doing an excellent job.
The Nerazzurri’s loss could be your gain, though, as Costanzi has some strong attributes. Having the three main characteristics for the job goes without saying. However, also his Determination is16 and his Level of Discipline is 15.
As he is a free agent, Costanzi is relatively easy to bring to your club. Like many on this list, his wages are not small, as he asks for £15,000 per week. This is a wage worth paying if you want an experienced head of youth development to nurture your young players.
- Working With Youngsters 17
- Judging Player Ability 18
- Judging Player Potential 20
Which is your favourite head of youth development?
