Arsenal hand former Man Utd coach promotion into new academy role
Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of David Horseman as their new Under-21 head coach following Max Porter’s departure from the academy.
Horseman has been promoted less than a year after arriving at Arsenal in September 2025 as Professional Development Phase – Elite Player Development Coach.
The UEFA Pro Licence holder will now take responsibility for the Under-21s in Premier League 2, working under new Academy Director Pascal De Maesschalck and Head of Academy Coaching Luke Hobbs.
Horseman replaces Porter, who has left Arsenal to become an assistant manager at Championship club Stoke City after previously overseeing the club’s Under-21 side.
The appointment provides continuity at Hale End because Horseman already has extensive experience working with several of the players he will now manage on a permanent basis.
He was appointed last September with responsibility for Arsenal’s Under-19 side in the UEFA Youth League and the Under-21s during their EFL Trophy campaign.
That included overseeing academy prospects in senior environments, with Arsenal recording a 2-1 comeback victory away to Newport County in the EFL Trophy last September.
Horseman also managed Arsenal during several UEFA Youth League fixtures, including their 4-2 victory over Bayern Munich in November.
His familiarity with the academy should therefore allow for a relatively smooth transition as Arsenal continue placing significant emphasis on creating pathways towards Mikel Arteta’s first team.
Marli Salmon and Max Dowman are among the recent academy players to receive substantial senior exposure, while Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri have already demonstrated the potential value of Hale End graduates at first-team level.
Academy Director De Maesschalck believes Horseman has already shown that he understands what Arsenal require when developing their leading prospects.
“We are extremely pleased to appoint David as our under-21s head coach,” De Maesschalck said, adding that his experience, drive and ability to manage young players made him well suited to the position.
Horseman described the promotion as a “huge honour” and expressed his desire to contribute to an academy with a long history of producing players for Arsenal and elsewhere in professional football.
The 41-year-old brings experience from several different levels after previously holding academy or first-team coaching positions with Manchester United, Southampton, Watford, Bristol Rovers and Forest Green Rovers.
He notably had a brief spell with Manchester United’s Under-21 setup before leaving to join Arsenal last September.
Horseman will not have long to settle into his expanded responsibilities, with Arsenal’s youngsters beginning their competitive campaign against Barnet in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.
His promotion represents another change within the academy structure this summer, but Arsenal have opted for a coach who already knows both the club’s development philosophy and many of the young players he will be tasked with pushing towards senior football.
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