Mansfield Town Academy add experienced duo Steve Chettle and Charlie McParland to coaching staff

Academy manager Richard Cooper said: “To have both Steve and Charlie as part of my coaching staff is a real coup for us. Their experience in developing players is second to none.

“Both have settled in really well and the response from our players has been very positive.

“I believe that these appointments will strengthen our Professional Development Phase and I’m looking forward to working with them in the season ahead.”

Former Nottingham Forest defender Chettle made over 500 career appearances as a player, mostly for the Reds in a 13-year stint at the City Ground.

He began his coaching career at Forest’s Academy before leading the academies of both Ilkeston and Nuneaton Town.

Chettle, who was also manager of Ilkeston’s first team and twice caretaker manager at Notts County, was most recently the director of football and head of academy at Basford United.McParland enjoyed an 18-year spell as a professional footballer and also has a wealth of experience as a coach and manager.Following a successful spell as joint-caretaker manager in 2006 at Nottingham Forest, McParland landed the manager’s job at Notts County, where he enjoyed a two-year stint.

In 2009, he joined Ipswich as part of Roy Keane's coaching staff before becoming assistant manager at Swindon and then returning to Forest as U21s coach. More recently, he was a scout for Aston Villa.Chettle said: “This is a club which is making great strides. It’s an excellent setup here at RH Academy and the staff are second-to-none.“We’ll work predominantly with the U19s – leading the scholars ahead of the new season - and will also have some integration with the U16s.”McParland added: “It’s a first-class academy here. Richard Cooper puts a lot of work in and all of the staff within the Academy are wholly committed.

“Our role is very much about improving the U19s players who we’ll be working with, making them better on the pitch and off it.”