Charlton Athletic are delighted to confirm the appointment of 47 year old as Individual Development Coach.

Charlton Athletic is pleased to announce the appointment of James Brayne as Individual Development Coach.

Brayne’s new role will be to focus on individual player development, working with youth players to prepare them for men’s first-team football and with first-team players to assist them improve critical areas of their game.

Brayne joins the club from Birmingham City, where he spent more than a decade in the Blues’ youth over two terms, and had previously worked at Manchester City’s academy for nearly three years.

In his most recent post as Head of Coaching and Player Development U15-U21, he oversaw the academy coaching programme that resulted in Birmingham being placed first in the EFL productivity rankings throughout a three-season period from 2018/19 to 2021/22. Jude Bellingham, who now plays for Real Madrid and England, graduated from the Blues’ program around this time.

“I’m really pleased to be at Charlton,” Brayne remarked. “The football club has a tremendous, rich tradition of developing young players, which is something I’ve had success with at Birmingham City and hope to continue here.

“So far, my talks with Andy Scott, Nathan Jones, and the entire staff have been quite encouraging. Everyone has been really welcoming, and everyone understands the importance of the role: helping individual players improve, the team improve, and, eventually, everyone flourish. That is what I am here to do, and I am eager to get started.”

Technical Director Andy Scott added: “James has worked with some exceptional players at Birmingham City, where a number of youngsters have progressed from the academy to the first team. They’re well-known for it, so we’re excited to bring him in and acquire his services. He fits right in with Nathan’s plans for the first team.

“We have a lot of players who have progressed from the academy to the men’s first team, and we want to ensure that the individual development programmes that they are currently undergoing in the academy are continued and cemented so that they can improve in the areas that they need to work on.

“James will serve as an important link between the academy and the men’s first squad. He will work directly with individual and small groups of players from the U18s, U21s, and first team. His goal is to ensure that the players receive the necessary development, rather than simply bringing them into the first squad and expecting them to be the finished item.”