Roberto De Zerbi has added Brighton & Hove Albion assistant head coach Andrew Crofts to his Tottenham Hotspur backroom staff.
The two clubs have agreed a compensation package for the 42-year-old to join Spurs and link up with De Zerbi, for whom he worked previously worked under at Brighton.
Crofts initially joined the south-coast club’s coaching staff in 2019 and would go on to become Brighton’s under-21 head coach.
He was placed in interim charge of the men’s first team following the departure of Graham Potter to Chelsea in September 2022 and secured a permanent position on the first-team coaching staff of De Zerbi and his successor Fabian Hurzeler, who appointed him as assistant coach.
Crofts said upon his exit from Brighton: “I’m incredibly grateful to Tony Bloom and Paul Barber for the trust, faith and support they’ve shown in me throughout my time here.”
The former Wales international midfielder made 125 appearances across two stints at Brighton as a player, and is also part of Craig Bellamy’s coaching staff with Wales.
Spurs also confirmed the appointments of Ali James as head of medical services, Tom Tombleson as head of athletic development and Agostino Tibaudi as strength and conditioning coach.
Crofts has provided continuity in Brighton staff
Crofts’ reunion with De Zerbi is rooted in the Italian’s arrival as Brighton head coach in September 2022.
De Zerbi brought with him several of his countrymen to form the bulk of the backroom team, but he also wanted somebody who knew Brighton well and would provide continuity.
Crofts was a perfect fit. He stepped in as interim coach without taking charge of a game between Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea and the appointment of De Zerbi.
The expertise added by Crofts during De Zerbi’s near two full seasons in charge at the Amex Stadium has led to them working together again.
Crofts was full throttle as a player and he brings the same level of commitment to his coaching career. He was a combative midfielder who played for Norwich City in the Premier League between spells in the second and third tiers with Brighton. He also won 29 caps for Wales across 13 years, the majority of them under the late Gary Speed, with Gareth Bale and Ryan Giggs as team-mates.
Coaching was always going to be his next step. He gained the UEFA Pro Licence (the top coaching qualification) in 2021, having returned to Brighton for a third stint at the club in 2019 as player-coach of the under-21’s. He became head coach of the under-21’s two years later.
Hurzeler followed De Zerbi’s lead in appreciating Crofts’ value when he was appointed in June 2024.
Crofts was promoted from first-team coach to assistant head coach alongside former Augsburg assistant manager Jonas Scheuermann. The departure of Crofts leaves a big gap in Hurzeler’s support staff.