Jeffers is Latics' new first-team coach

Francis Jeffers has been appointed Latics' new first-team coach.

The club also has plans to introduce a B-team and Jeffers will oversee this section of football operations as it is implemented.

The 41-year-old has an established record as a youth coach, working alongside newly-appointed manager David Unsworth in the academy at Everton for the best part of a decade, and he was part of the first-team staff at Ipswich Town.

On the appointment of Jeffers, Unsworth said: “Franny is someone I’ve worked with very closely before and he is an outstanding coach.

“He first came into the Everton academy as a striker coach and developed a real niche for working specifically with forwards and improving their all-round game.

“He then became an U23 coach and had a terrific period at Ipswich, who really wanted to keep him.

"He will also double-up and take our B-team, which will be key to developing our younger players.

“The step between our academy and the first-team is too big at the moment and I’ve been championing the introduction of a B-team to help bring our players on much more quickly.

“Franny is very passionate, he is a top-class coach and we’re very lucky to have him on board.”

Jeffers began his playing career at Everton, breaking into the first-team at the end of the 1998/99 season, scoring six goals in a 14-game period.

He continued to score for the Toffees, netting another six the next season, and seven in 14 appearances the following season.

His performances convinced Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, to sign Jeffers for £8 million, but his time at Highbury was dogged by injuries.

Jeffers made his only appearance for England during his time at Arsenal, scoring against Australia in a friendly, before returning to Everton on loan in 2003.

He left Arsenal and played for a number of other clubs, including Charlton, Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.

After retiring in 2013, Jeffers started coaching at Everton’s academy, and became a coach under Unsworth in 2018. 

He left Everton in 2021 to join Paul Cook’s coaching staff at Ipswich and now joins Latics as part of the new backroom set-up.

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