David Horseman appointed as under-21s head coach

We are delighted to announce that David Horseman has been appointed as head coach of our under-21s team.

David arrived at the club in September 2025 as our Professional Development Phase - Elite Player Development Coach, taking charge of our under-19s in the UEFA Youth League and our under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Under the guidance of our Head of Academy Coaching, Luke Hobbs and our new Academy Director, Pascal De Maesschalck, David will lead our under-21s in Premier League 2, following the departure of head coach Max Porter, who has taken up a role as assistant manager at Championship side Stoke City.

An experienced and qualified coach, David holds a UEFA Pro Licence and has previously held coaching positions at first-team and academy level at Southampton, Watford, Bristol Rovers, Forest Green Rovers and Manchester United.

Academy Director, Pascal de Maesschalck said: “We are extremely pleased to appoint David as our under-21s head coach. He has consistently demonstrated a clear understanding of how to manage our talented young players, both as individuals and as a team. With his experience, positive mindset and drive, he will continue to help create the perfect environment to realise our objectives and help our young players to succeed."

David added: "I’m absolutely delighted and privileged to be appointed Arsenal under-21s head coach, following in the footsteps of so many outstanding coaches who have held this position before me.

"It’s a huge honour to contribute to the continued success of an academy with such a proud history of developing players for our first team and the wider game.

"A special thank you to Mikel, Albert, Pascal, Luke and Ken [Gillard] for their support, trust and belief in me throughout the process. I’m incredibly grateful and excited for what lies ahead.?

Everyone at Arsenal wishes David the best of luck with the season ahead, which gets underway against Barnet in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday, August 18.

Read our first interview with our new under-21 head coach below: