His brief will be to coach both the talented youngsters coming through the Platt Lane pipeline and also head up the in-service training of the Academy coaching staff.
Having played almost 100 games for the Blues between 1976 and 1979 and won a European Cup winners medal with United, Brian is a legendary figure in Manchester football circles. He also clocked up a significant number of games for Arsenal, Everton and Bolton before ending his playing career in the United States.
His coaching techniques have won admirers from all over the world and he had wide experience of management too having started at Barrow and then moved to Preston North End. He later managed Blackburn Rovers.
Brian spent a decade at Old Trafford as youth team boss and assistant manager before moving to Leeds, Sheffield United and last season Portsmouth where alongside Paul Hart he managed to keep south coast side in the Premier League.
Kidd, who was born in Collyhurst and always maintained his family home in the Manchester area, was also England coach in 2003 under former City chief Sven-Goran Eriksson.
His appointment to the Platt Lane staff is a coup for the Blues as highlighted by both Academy manager Andy Welsh and Football Administration Officer Brian Marwood.
“Brian has vast experience at both Club and International level and will help maintain the excellent development programme we have in place at the Academy,” stressed Marwood.
“As a top class coach he was much in demand when it became clear he wasn’t going to stay at Portsmouth and we are delighted that Brian has chosen to come and work with us. I know he scored nearly 50 goals in his playing days at Maine Road and is greatly admired and respected amongst our fans.”
Welsh, who took over as Academy manager following Jim Cassell’s move to international duty, reinforced Marwood’s view.
“I have worked with Brian before and he is both an innovative and forward thinking coach who is amongst the best around. The players and the coaches here are looking forward greatly to working with him. Brian will be a huge asset to us,” he concluded.
