New York City FC Names Robin Nicholls as Academy Director

New York City FC announced that Robin Nicholls has been named Academy Director. 

Nicholls joins New York City FC from Sunderland AFC, having been a part of the Club’s Academy structure since 2022, serving as an Academy Manager. Nicholls will begin his role with New York City FC on June 1, 2026, following the conclusion of the current season with Sunderland AFC. 

“The opportunity of being appointed as the new Academy Director for New York City FC is an honor. From an Academy perspective, the pathway and opportunity is really important, but the actual city that your Academy operates in is key because that’s the catchment area where the players are going to come from,” said Academy Director Robin Nicholls. “New York itself is not only a fantastic city, but the background of the people who live there, the different socioeconomic backgrounds, means the potential for talent is exceptional. One of the best and most diverse talent pools in the world, in my opinion. I wanted to tap into that and really help develop that level of talent to hopefully go on and play at the highest level one day. The Club is headed in the right direction, and with the opening of Etihad Park, it’s an exciting time to be a part of".