Derby County are delighted to announce the appointments of Des Walker and Craig Short to the club’s Academy staff.

Former England international defender Walker, 50, has joined as the Academy’s defensive coach while Short, who is 47 and a former Derby player, will provide additional coaching support to the Under 21 squad.

The duo have initially joined the club until the end of the 2015/16 campaign and will add to the already talented group of coaches working within the Academy.

Derby County’s Academy Director Darren Wassall said: “We’re delighted to welcome Des and Craig to the Academy coaching staff.


“Des is someone that has plenty to offer from a defensive point of view across the Academy and Craig, meanwhile, has worked with us previously so we’re well aware of his skills and he is a welcome addition to the Under 21 coaching staff.”


Walker, capped 59 times for England, made just under 800 career appearances between 1983 and 2005. He had two spells at in the East Midlands at Nottingham Forest, as well as playing for Sampdoria in Italy and also Sheffield Wednesday.

On the international stage, he was part of the England squad that reached the Semi-Finals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy under Sir Bobby Robson.

Earlier this year, his 17-year-old son Lewis Walker, who is a striker, joined Derby from Ilkeston FC and has featured for the Under 18s in recent weeks.

Short played 143 games for Derby following a £2.65m transfer from Notts County in September 1992 and also served Scarborough, Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United while making 664 career appearances in total between 1987 and 2007.

Upon hanging up his boots he managed Hungarian side Ferencvaros in 2009/10 as well as Notts County at the start of the 2010/11 season in League One.

Short joined Derby as Head of Recruitment in the Academy between September 2011 and June 2013 before becoming part of Gary Bowyer’s first-team coaching staff at Blackburn Rovers, prior to his departure earlier this season.

Tweets by @ dcfcofficial