Forest Green Rovers have today confirmed the appointment of Hannah Dingley as their new academy manager.

Dingley is tasked with building on the momentum of the club’s fledgling category 3 academy, developing new first-team talent for the club, and will also spearhead the creation of a new women’s academy too, mirroring the men’s set-up at the League Two club.

Dingley has considerable footballing experience having been with Burton Albion since 2013, and became the League One club’s head of academy coaching in 2016. She has also had successful stints at Nottingham Forest Ladies, Leicester City Women and Lincoln Ladies.

Dingley, who will work closely with Mark Cooper and the first-team set-up at Forest Green Rovers, Hannah Dingley, said: “I’m really excited to get started – it’s the perfect blank canvas.

“We have a first team manager who really wants young players in his squad and plays the game with a distinctive style. We have some great talent in the academy and my focus will be on doing everything we can to give them the best chance at first team football.

“I was aware of Forest Green Rovers before I came to meet the chairman, but it was the fact their stadium is on a road called ‘Another Way’ that got me thinking. Football typically does the same thing repeatedly and waits for results to change without making changes. It feels like I’ve got a chance to innovate here and do things differently.”

Dale Vince, chairman of Forest Green, added: “Hannah is a great addition to the team at Forest Green, she has the experience, passion and skill to really drive our academy onward, giving our young players their best shot at first-team football.

“There’s a good cultural fit too, we share an interest in innovation, in looking to improve and do things differently, and a fearless approach when it comes to breaking the mould. That’s very FGR.”