Two key staff appointments within Wolves Academy in Christian Preußer and Ian Sharps have further realigned the club’s academy strategy.
Following an extensive recruitment process, Preußer has been appointed as the academy’s new head of football. In this role, he will lead the overall football programme, focusing on playing philosophy, identity, the player pathway and supporting the development of coaches.
Formerly the head coach of Borussia Dortmund II, Preußer brings extensive experience from German football across both academy and first-team environments, having also led 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf. He has also won third and fourth tier German titles with SC Freiburg II and a youth championship with Rot-Weiß Erfurt’s under-19s.
Sharps has also transitioned from lead academy coach into the new role of head of coaching for the under-9 to under-16 age groups. In this position, he will support the delivery of the football programme across the foundation and youth development phases, working closely with both players and coaches. Sharps has more than eight years of experience with Wolves and enjoyed a professional playing career spanning over 500 league appearances.
“I’m really excited to bring Christian to the football club,” said academy director Jon Hunter-Barrett. “He has vast experience across different ages and stages of youth development and senior football. He also brings a unique perspective and freshness to the direction we are heading in as an academy.
“As head of football, part of his role will be to review our current principles of play and further define our Wolves identity – both in terms of how we behave and how we play. We are at a pivotal point with the club-wide reset, and it presents a real opportunity for growth. We feel Christian will add something different to the programme.”
Hunter-Barrett also praised Sharps’ progression within the academy setup.
“Ian has been at the football club for a number of years now and has impressed at every stage of his journey. His attitude and willingness to improve have always stood out.
“He is now at a stage where his focus is on developing coaches and helping strengthen the methodology and identity that we deliver across the academy.”
Hunter-Barrett also shared further details about the reshaping of the academy strategy, with staff from across the department recently taking part in a development day at The Mount Hotel near Compton Park.
“I think the best environments, business plans, football teams and academies are built when everyone is aligned around a clear purpose and vision.
“Success doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by design. What we are trying to create is an environment where everyone, on and off the pitch, is working towards the same goals.
“We have reviewed our vision, our objectives and our targets, and held a second development day to refine those further. These appointments come at a time when it is important for us to review our football strategy.
“We’ve been successful this year in getting players into the first team, but there is always more we can do. The attitude we want is to continually improve and take every opportunity to get better.”
