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Simon Wiles is highly-rated but is set to swap Manchester for Liverpool

Liverpool are in talks to land coach Simon Wiles from arch rivals Manchester United as the Premier League champions seek to appoint a new coach of their U18 side.

Wiles is currently working at Old Trafford and is leading the U14s, but is set to cross the divide and go and work at Kirby with the Reds' older age group.

It would bring to an end the 40-year-old's relatively brief stint in Manchester, having only joined them in September 2024.

Liverpool have been on the lookout for a new coach of their youth grade side since Marc Bridge-Wilkinson called time on his decade with the club.

He previously served as the caretaker boss of Salford City, where Gary Neville is a co-owner.

His expected departure from Old Trafford is blow and continues the worrying trend of academy coaches who have chosen to leave for improved positions elsewhere, despite proving to be hugely competent in their roles with the Manchester side.

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Justin Cochrane, Paul McShane, Tom Huddlestone, Neil Ryan, and Neil Gittins have all left United in recent years.

Neil Wood is also in that category having previously left the youth set-up in Manchester to go and be the boss at Salford.

Wiles’ first coaching role came in Blackpool’s academy in June 2013, before he decided to put his focus back on his playing career, which later ended in 2018.

Once he retired he became an U18s coach for League One club Fleetwood Town and was their interim manager in 2021 after they sacked Joey Barton.

Mark Bridge-Wilkinson has recently left Liverpool are 10 years

He left Fleetwood to begin work with Salford in 2022, where he was a first-team coach, which ultimately led to him being hired by United’s academy in September last year.

Wiles is expected to work with Anthony Ryan when he joins Liverpool, who will step up from the U15s to become assistant head coach for the U18s.

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Ryan is currently working as Liverpool U18s’ interim boss after Bridge-Wilkinson left.
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