New Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell is a published author on a book that advocates three at the back tactics.
The 48-year-old, who replaces Marcel Brands who departed the club in December less than eight months after penning a contract extension until 2024, has written several coaching manuals, including ones for youth football, but his most prominent work is ‘Coaching The European 3-5-2.’
In his pre-match press conference ahead of last Saturday’s trip to Southampton, Everton manager Frank Lampard declared that communication was the key to working with a director of football and when the club “ask for me input (on the appointment), I will most certainly give it.”
Everton have only sporadically used a three centre-back system over the years, mostly during Walter Smith’s tenure between 1998-2002, but Lampard started with three centre-backs for his first two games in charge (albeit in a 3-4-3 formation) before reverting to a flat back four after losing first Ben Godfrey then Yerry Mina to injury.
A junior at Crewe Alexandra and Shrewsbury Town, Thelwell failed to make it as a professional footballer himself but had a non-league career with Northwich Victoria, Winsford United and Congleton Town.
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In 1998 he became, at 25, one of the youngest coaches to obtain the FA/UEFA Advanced Licence, the same year that he began his coaching career with the Football Association of Wales as Football Development Officer for Denbighshire.
An appointment to the position of Director of Coach Education in 2002 gave Thelwell the responsibility of co-ordinating and developing coach education at all levels in Wales and three years later, Preston North End manager Billy Davies made him his Director of Youth at the Lancashire club.
The following season he followed the Scot to Derby County where at the age of 32 he became the youngest academy manager in the country.
Davies told the BBC at the time: “I headhunted Kevin from the Welsh FA when I was at Preston.
“He is a wonderful personality who is well organised and well thought of by all the players that he's worked with.”
Combining his academy role with duties as first team coach, Thelwell helped the Rams to promotion to the Premier League in 2007 and actually had a two-day spell as caretaker manager when Davies left in November that year before Scouser Paul Jewell’s appointment.
In April 2008, he replaced Chris Evans as Wolverhampton Wanderers’ academy manager and spent almost a dozen years at Molineux, the last three-and-a-half of which were as sporting director.
Thelwell moved to Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls in February 2020 taking up the role of head of sport in which the club’s sporting director Denis Hamlett reported to him.
Reflecting on his time in the Big Apple, Thelwell said: “My family and I have loved every minute of working in the U.S. and in particular for the New York Red Bulls.
“It has been an incredible period that I will cherish and feel that I am a much better head of sport for the experience.
“I feel I leave the shirt in a much stronger place than when I joined.
“The roster has been completely rebuilt; there is a clear sporting vision now in place as part of a strategic five-year plan; and the pipeline of young talent is now stronger than ever.
“I would like to thank the staff, players and fans for their support, and I am looking forward to continuing to be a fan of the Red Bulls in the future.”
Thelwell's Red Bulls side played a variety of formations last season which ended in November but they used three centre-backs in eight of their last nine fixtures.
