Dundee United have appointed former SFA performance school coach Chris Docherty as the club’s new head of tactical performance.
He takes over the role from head coach Thomas Courts, who landed the manager’s job at Tannadice last month following the departure of Micky Mellon.
Docherty (29) has also worked with Croatian club Hajduk Split as an analyst and scout, coached in China and has ties with Real Madrid.
He’ll work closely with academy director Andy Goldie in the Tangerines youth set-up and also provide a bridge into the first team.
Docherty excited by Tangerines vision
Of his new role, Docherty said: “I’m delighted to be joining Dundee United at a real landmark time for the club.
“I’ve had a number of long and detailed conversations with the new manager which were fundamental to me joining the club.
“Of course, it’s not going to be easy to develop young players while playing an attractive style and getting results, but there are plenty of forward-thinking teams in Europe who do so, including where I worked previously in Croatia.
“For me, it is a standard requirement to aim for all of those objectives.
We're delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Docherty as our new Head of Tactical Performance. The 29-year-old takes over from Head Coach Tam Courts as the club looks to create an even stronger link between first team and academy.#UnitedTogether https://t.co/rKJ0ZSlkyx
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) July 2, 2021
“Knowing some of the key staff members at the club as well as I do such as Andy and Tam, who has all the attributes to be a very successful manager, I felt we were well placed to kick on and create a special period in the legacy of Dundee United.
“I wanted to be part of that vision and am really excited to play my own small part in that process.”
The club also confirmed head of performance analysis Stevie Grieve has left Tannadice.