Gavin Levey eager to continue building culture and identity within Swansea City academy

Gavin Levey believes Swansea City's academy is building a culture and strategy that can help drive the club forward over next season and beyond.

Over the 2023-24 campaign, Swansea City's professional phase sides have been to two cup finals, seen three players make first-team debuts, and had representation at major international tournaments, while the under-21s are still in the hunt for silverware as they prepare for the Professional Development League play-off semi-finals.

Academy manager Levey joined Swansea in October 2023 from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen, a club he served with great distinction for 17 years across a number of positions, including academy director.

With seven months in SA1 under his belt, the Scot has been pleased with the progress he has already seen.

The likes of Aimar Govea, Sam Parker and Filip Lissah have broken through to the first-team ranks this season, with several other academy players being handed the chance to train and be around the senior set-up.

And Levey is keen to make sure the philosophy and identity is consistent from the first team down to the academy as the club develop an alignment programme to ensure best practice is followed on and off the field across Swansea City.

“It’s a unique programme. It’s something I’ve never really experienced at this level in this much detail," said Levey. 

“When I came here, the sporting director [Paul Watson] had a vision. Because of the club and style of play here, he wanted to try and align the work from the first team down to the academy. 

“Prior to Christmas, we took a hold of the project, and we’ve managed to work across all of the departments of the academy. 

“And it’s not just a case of going up to watch training and taking notes, staff have had the chance to be part of the build-up to first-team matchdays, be in the dressing room at half-time, travel away and be involved in their day-to-day work."

“We’ve had staff in there, where first team staff have asked for their opinion, so they’re actually embedded in the environment, whether that’s with coaching staff, physios, our recruitment team or even young players who we believe need to be around a first-team matchday. 

“I think it’s also important to show the business side of it as well, we’ve taken our phase leads, education and wellbeing leads to Fairwood to give staff an understanding of what goes on in a first-team environment. 

“It's an alignment programme but, ultimately, it's an education programme. It’s a two-way project, it’s not just first-team staff telling our staff what to do, it’s our staff having an input and seeing how they can help the first team. 

“In the most recent part of the project, we had (assistant head coach) Alan Sheehan and (head of goalkeeping) Martyn Margetson come down. They look after the set plays for the first team, and they went through key examples of what our principles should be when we’re attacking and defending.  

“It’s so important that we now try and align what we do. We’ve brought in some real experts in the field who have experience in aligning projects."

The academy has been through a period of staffing change over the course of the season, and Levey feels the new appointments will be crucial in fulfilling the academy's long-term aims.

Following the departure of head of academy coaching Ryan Davies, who served the academy for 12 years, Levey has reunited with former Aberdeen youth phase manager Liam McGarry, who has filled the role.

Former AFC Bournemouth and Torquay United defender Paul Compton, who has vast experience in recruitment within category one set-ups, took on the role of head of academy recruitment in the new year.

“With Liam [McGarry] and Paul [Compton], they bring totally different experiences for the roles that they have," added Levey.

“Paul Compton comes in with a playing career, a managerial career, a coaching career behind him, and he’s been head of recruitment at category one clubs. 

“He gives us something that we’ve not had here, and he gives us that different aspect of that experience. 

“He can share those experiences with a lot of different staff, and the needs we have for the academy, and certainly in the older age groups where we have gaps in our succession planning. 

“Liam McGarry is someone I’ve worked with on a full-time basis for 10 years. 

“I’ve known him for 12 years, as a part-time coach, as a young coach coming through. He’s someone who’s managed a pre-academy on a full-time basis. 

“He’s managed the foundation phase, the youth phase and he’s got an incredible track record as a coach."

While encouraged by initial signs during his tenure, Levey is determined to make sure Swansea kick on.

“When I came in, I wanted to put a strategy in place early on - between November and May - it was very much about having stability in all departments," said Levey.

“We have to stabilise our staff, stabilise our environment, and ensure staff feel like we’re progressing as a club. 

“We’re all together as a staff. When the under-21s won at the stadium (against Birmingham) the other day, we got all the staff down pitchside and into the changing rooms afterwards. It just brings us all together. 

“It’s also how we worked when the under-18s went to Millwall for the PDL Cup final, all the staff coming up to support the boys. 

“Next year is about re-setting, so going back to all of the good things the academy has done over the years and this season. 

“It’s also about progressing next year, and the year after, our aim is to become to best in-class academy. 

“We’ve set realistic targets to do that, and it fits nicely in the overall club vision of where we want to be at first-team level.”