Paul Lodge has retired from his role as Academy Manager at Accrington Stanley.
Paul has held various roles at the club including First Team Coach and Head of Academy.
He helped to start the youth scheme in 2004 under John Coleman, with Stanley in the Conference, before leaving to become manager of Chorley in 2006.
He returned to the Reds in 2012 and worked under Paul Cook, Leam Richardson and James Beattie before he left in September 2014 for a job at Accrington and Rossendale College.
Lodge returned to become Academy Manager in 2015 and has been instrumental in the development of the Stanley Academy set-up and helped to bring players through such as Ross Sykes, Toby Savin, Regan Ogle, Zehn Mohammed and Harry Perritt.
Current Academy Head of Coaching, Duncan Fearnhead, will make the step up to the role of Academy Manager once the club has advertised, interviewed and appointed a new Head of Coaching.
Paul said: “I’ve really enjoyed five years in the role but the staff I wanted are now in place and I felt it time to pass the role on to a younger, more modern approach in an increasingly modern game.”
Manager John Coleman said: “I would like to thank Paul for all his efforts, he has brought through some great players and is a close personal friend as well and we are sorry to see him go.
“He has left a legacy which Duncan is more than capable of continuing.”
Managing Director, David Burgess said: “We want to thank Paul Lodge for everything he has done for Accrington Stanley and he leaves with the best wishes of everyone. He has shaped the Academy into what it is today and leaves a legacy for the next generation of coaches and players."