Former football pro, Luke Webb, signs for Rossall school
A former professional footballer and Arsenal academy product has signed for a Lancashire independent school as it looks to further bolster its elite sports offering.
Luke Webb, son of former England and Nottingham Forest star Neil Webb, will join Rossall School as its new Head of Football Performance from August.
Luke played for Coventry City and Hereford United before moving into coaching, becoming renowned as an elite football coach within the independent school sector during his time at both Bradfield College and Repton School.
He said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining Rossall School in August.
“Throughout my career, I have been focused on creating environments, systems and coaching practices that enable young people to accelerate their learning and development within a supportive and appropriately challenging setting.
“This work has led to the development of a coaching approach that consistently helps individuals surpass their potential while fostering a genuine love of learning and improvement.
“At its heart is a strong ethical foundation, ensuring that the pursuit of excellence and high performance is both ambitious and safe.
“I have long been searching for an institution whose ambition for education and pupil development matches my own, and I believe I have found that in Rossall.
“The opportunity to contribute to a community that values both achievement and personal growth is incredibly exciting.
“I look forward to working with staff and pupils to build something truly special and to help shape an environment where young people can thrive both on and off the field.”
Rossall has established itself as one of the UK’s premier schools for football education, particularly through its successful partnership with Manchester City FC.
Luke’s role will see him work alongside five coaches from Manchester City who work at Rossall, delivering world-class football education to children of all abilities, who also benefit from the school’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Other areas students benefit from at Rossall include strength and conditioning provision, GPS performance tracking, video analysis, nutrition support, recovery and rehabilitation programmes and physiological benchmarking.
Andrew McBride, Headmaster of Rossall School, added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Luke Webb to Rossall School as our new Football Performance Lead.
“Luke is an exceptional appointment whose experience as a professional player with Arsenal and Coventry City, alongside his UEFA A Licence and extensive expertise in youth player development, make him ideally placed to lead the next chapter of our football programme.
“He understands what high performance looks like and, equally importantly, how to support and develop young people as they pursue their ambitions.
“Our ambition is to provide an environment that rivals the very best development pathways available to young footballers.
“Through our partnership with Manchester City FC, a fixture programme that includes professional academies, and a range of opportunities and pathways for talented players, we are committed to helping every student maximise their potential.”
Luke’s arrival also comes after Rossall launched its recent £2.3million Sports Development Plan, aiming to deliver further upgrades to the school’s renowned sporting facilities.
Andrew added: “Luke's appointment reflects our determination to continue investing in every aspect of the player experience.
“He shares our belief that great football programmes are built on strong relationships, a sense of belonging and a culture in which young people feel valued, challenged and inspired.
“We want every player at Rossall to feel part of something special.”
