Everton’s new football director used to play for Conwy alongside former Caernarfon Town boss Lee Dixon

Everton’s new director of football is a former team-mate of ex-Caernarfon Town and Llangefni Town manager Lee Dixon.

Kevin Thelwell played in the same defence as Dixon for Conwy United in the League of Wales and was once Football Development Officer for Denbighshire County Council.

The 48-year-old took up his new position at Goodison Park last week.

Back in 1999-2000, Thelwell was a centre-back partner of Dixon at Conwy during a difficult season for the Tangerines in the national league.

Dixon, later to manage Llangefni Town and Caernarfon, where he won the Cymru Alliance League title with the former and the Welsh Alliance championship and FAW Trophy with the latter, has also been a football development officer at Everton.

After playing alongside Thelwell at Y Morfa, the pair met up again when Dixon was taking his coaching badges.

In 1998, Thelwell had become, at 25, one of the youngest coaches to obtain the FA/UEFA Advanced Licence, the same year he began his coaching career with the Football Association of Wales as Football Development Officer for Denbighshire.

Four years later, Thelwell was appointed Director of Coach Education for the FAW Trust where he was responsible for the UEFA Advanced Licence and Pro Licence courses.

It was during his coaching progression in Wales that he and Dixon were reunited.

“He delivered my UEFA C licence to me,” recalls Lee. “He got me on the coaching ladder with many others.”

In February 2020, Thelwell and his family moved to America, where he took up the role of head of sport at New York Red Bulls.

Last week, he returned to England and was appointed Director of Football of Premier League club Everton.

Thelwell, who replaces Marcel Brands, is a published author of a book that advocates three at the back tactics. 

He has also written several coaching manuals, including ones for youth football, but his most prominent work is ‘Coaching The European 3-5-2′.

As a schoolboy Thelwell progressed through the academy at Crewe Alexandra before moving to Shrewsbury Town where he gained an apprenticeship and progressed into the professional ranks. 

He failed to make a senior appearance for the club though and instead led a semi pro career with clubs such as Northwich Victoria, Winsford United and Congleton Town.

His coaching successes in Wales led to in 2005 Preston North End manager Billy Davies making him his Director of Youth.

The season after he followed the Scot to Derby County where at the age of 32 he became the youngest academy manager in the country.

Combining his academy role with duties as first team coach, Thelwell helped the Rams to promotion to the Premier League in 2007 and actually had a two-day spell as caretaker manager when Davies left in November that year.

In April 2008, Thelwell replaced Anglesey man Chris Evans as Wolverhampton Wanderers’ academy manager and spent almost a dozen years at Molineux, the last three-and-a-half as sporting director.

Thelwell helped build a Wolves team that included identifying and recruiting players like Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, Leander Dendoncker and Conor Coady.