TWTD understands that Town have renewed their interest in bringing former Academy manager Bryan Klug back to Playford Road as exiting chief Sammy Morgan’s replacement. In February, we revealed that the Blues had approached the 51-year-old about a possible return, Klug at that point deciding against leaving his current role as assistant director and head of player development at Tottenham’s Academy.
More recently Klug is believed to have softened to the idea of going back to the job he vacated in 2006 to become Jim Magilton’s assistant manager.
Klug was Magilton’s second in command until John Gorman’s appointment in 2008, when he moved into a head of football development role and was taking charge of the reserves when he was controversially axed by former boss Roy Keane in January 2010.
Current Academy manager Morgan yesterday announced his intention to stand down at the end of the month, with the Academy undergoing a restructuring as part of the EPPP shake-up of youth football. Town’s decision to opt for Category Two will see overall staff numbers increase by up to eight.
Asked to comment on Town's targeting of Klug in February, chief executive Simon Clegg wouldn't comment one way or the other: "It would be wrong for me to speculate on any member of staff, past or present.”
Klug, who still lives in Suffolk, was a youth player with the Blues between 1977 and 1983 but failed to make a senior appearance, moving on to Wimbledon (loan), Chesterfield and Peterborough United and then into non-league football.
He returned to Portman Road in 1987, joining the coaching staff and in 1998 became the director of the newly formed Academy in an era during which Kieron Dyer, Richard Wright, James Scowcroft, Titus Bramble and others emerged.
In 2005 Klug, who has also had spells as caretaker-manager of the Blues, led the Academy to the club’s third FA Youth Cup before becoming Magilton’s assistant a year later, shortly after Newcastle United had approached him to run their Academy.