Long-serving Blues academy coach, former assistant boss and three-time caretaker-manager Bryan Klug is being targeted by Norwich City, TWTD understands.

The Canaries’ head of football development Dean Rastrick worked with Klug during his spell at Tottenham’s academy and is believed to be behind the move, which we understand isn’t linked to Liam Manning, who played and coached under Klug in the Town academy, being lined-up to take over as manager at Carrow Road.

Klug, 64, was a young player at Town during the Bobby Robson era and won England youth caps but moved on before making a senior appearance with injuries having hampered his progress.

Following spells with Wimbledon (loan), Chesterfield, Peterborough and in non-league, he returned to Town as a youth coach in 1987 and was named academy director on its inception in 1998.

During this period, Klug helped the Blues bring through the likes of Richard Wright, Titus Bramble, Kieron Dyer, James Scowcroft, Richard Naylor, players who were key men in George Burley’s squad which eventually went on to win promotion in 1999/00 and then finished fifth in the Premier League the following season, with the likes of Darren Bent, Darren Ambrose, Ian Westlake, Dean Bowditch and Matt Richards following them into the first team.

In 2005, the U18s won the FA Youth Cup, emulating the Town youth sides of the 1970s.

Jim Magilton made him his assistant when he took over as boss in 2006, before he took on a role as head of football development in January 2009.

After being sacked by Roy Keane in January 2010, he joined Tottenham as assistant academy manager before returning to the Blues and his previous position as academy director in June 2012.

In 2016, he moved to a new job as head of coaching and player development, one which meant he was involved more on the training field, as Lee O’Neill took over the more administrative academy director’s role.

While at Town, Klug has served as caretaker-manager following the departures of Jim Magilton, Mick McCarthy and Paul Hurst.

Coventry-born Klug has remained in that position, but with most of the pre-takeover Town academy staff having moved on, his likely departure is not unexpected.

Photo: Action Images

viewfromtheu2 added 18:48 - May 27 This would be a crushing blow and should not be allowed to happen, sacrilege if so.
10

tetchris added 18:49 - May 27 Bryan Klug is Mr Ipswich surely he wouldn’t go to the budgies
10

bringmeaKuqi added 18:50 - May 27 Would be a shame to see him move on. So often a welcome safe hand on the tiller after a manager change. Has also overseen a huge number of our best academy products. That said, the club is serious about improving our academy. Perhaps this is just how things are these days.
1

Westy added 18:57 - May 27 Don't do it Bryan!
6

Leutard added 19:09 - May 27 Whatever is convincing him it'll be greener pastures at Norwich needs to be fixed, this would be terrible
2

darkhorse28 added 19:11 - May 27 It looks like we want to close the academy and follow the Brentford model. We haven’t provided a pathway for young players for a long time now. It’s such a shame. There’s no better feeling than seeing young talent develop. If we do go down this path. The talent ID needs to be a million times better than right now, Brentford are exceptional, they ID world class talent and get value both ends of deals. We haven’t done that. If we aren’t careful we’ll end up with no meaningful pipeline for the talent we need. I’m not sure strategically we seem to know what we want to be. In the EPL the required level probably will always be external, in the EFL developing talent that can contribute to a P&L as pure profit is a great strategy long term. We don’t seem to do either very well at the minute. As they say in Yorkshire Ashton doesn’t know if he wants a shi*t or a haircut.

-9

churchmans added 19:13 - May 27 This aint good news
1

victorysquad added 19:17 - May 27 I hope this is not famous last words, but when has it ever really worked out someone moving from Ipswich to Norwich or Vice Versa?
0

Gforce added 19:19 - May 27 Doubt it will happen,just can't see it.
0

blues1 added 19:25 - May 27 Darkhorse28. Again, talking absolute rubbish. Yer, of course we're looking to close the academy. Must be why we're doing what we,can to get grade1 status. Why post such rubbish. While it would be a shame to see him go, let's be honest, how many players have come through from the academy in the last 10 years. Can only think of 3 myself, who have. And 2 of those have spent the past year( or 3 in one case) , out on loan. Only woolfie has really made it into the 1st team on a regular basis.

5

blues1 added 19:33 - May 27 *I mean category 1 of course.
1

ArnieM added 19:37 - May 27 Canaries eating humble pie now .... do far down the pecking order in football and going in the opposite direction to us that they target Ipswich Town people. LOL ... Klug would be mad to accept a job at that tin pot outfit. Micky Mouse backing, for a micky mouse club. Giant step backwards for him if he goes and thst fickle but Chelsea will.be hounding him out inside 12 months.

3

blues1 added 19:39 - May 27 Victorysquad. More often than u may think actually. Certainly been several players whove moved either way and done well. Dont recall any on the coaching side whove moved directly from one to the other. Tho Joe Royle played for Norwich, and was good as manager here. We have to remember, for the vast majority of players/ coaches/ managers, its just their job. Few have any real connection to either club.

0

DavoIPB added 21:01 - May 27 Surely this is just the club making way for improvements. Our academy has been really poor in producing decent players for a long time. Long gone are the days when we produce top flight players from our academy.
3

Cafe_Newman added 21:41 - May 27 Good luck Bryan in whatever path you take from here. Thankyou for your honest service and hard work through good times and bad.
1

Mark added 22:10 - May 27 > After being sacked by Roy Keane in January 2010 I had forgotten about that! What a disaster Keane was for this club.
2

runningout added 22:31 - May 27 Fuss over nothing from some. Up to Bryan Klug what he does
2

trncbluearmy added 05:53 - May 28 Cant see any problem with this, great servant to club, but the academy has produced very little for some time now, a complete revamp is long over due. 64 years of age, nearing retirement. Love to wish him good luck but not were he's possible going to
0

BangaloreBlues added 06:33 - May 28 I would love to have been there when he received that call, and watch him fall off his chair laughing...
0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls