Gareth Jennings has tendered his resignation as New Zealand Football’s general manager of high performance after only nine months in the job.
The Englishman took up the role in September 2021 after working for FIFA and with several English clubs.
NZ Herald football writer Michael Burgess reports that “no specific reason has been offered for his exit”, and it is believed to be unrelated to an independent review of the All Whites’ FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
Burgess writes that the Herald understands the review will be carried out by Auckland lawyer Don MacKinnon, a specialist in sports and employment law.
MacKinnon is chair of the Blues Super Rugby franchise and is a board member of New Zealand Cricket.
NZ Football announced Jennings’ appointment in July 2021 with the following information:
“Jennings worked as Academy Director during Leicester City’s 2015/16 Premier League winning season, where he oversaw the team become the number one side in the league for minutes by homegrown players.
“Following The Foxes, Jennings became Academy Director for Stoke City where he saw 10 academy products make their debut and 12 players represent their country.
“Most recently, as Head of Technical Leadership for FIFA, he is responsible for the development of all Technical Directors, High Performance Directors and Coach Education Managers globally.
“As a coach, he holds the UEFA Pro and A Licence and previously worked as Coach Educator for The FA. Prior to moving into coaching, Jennings played professionally in England as well as spending a season living in the Whangaparoa Peninsular, Aotearoa New Zealand.”
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