Manchester City have officially confirmed that Carl Walker has been appointed as the club’s new Head of Academy Scouting and Recruitment, a significant structural move within one of the most admired academy setups in European football.
The appointment comes as City continue to invest in the infrastructure behind their celebrated youth pipeline, with Walker stepping up after years of building his reputation inside the Etihad’s scouting network.
Who is Carl Walker?
Carl Walker is a highly regarded football recruitment specialist who has been embedded in Manchester City’s academy scouting structure for a number of years. He previously served as the club’s Southern Youth Scouting Manager, where he was recognised as one of the key figures in City’s nationally respected youth recruitment department.
Walker was part of a renowned trio of scouting leaders at City — alongside Sam Fagbemi and Paul McLaren — that helped the club build a reputation as having one of the best youth recruitment departments in European football. During his time in the southern scouting role, he was instrumental in identifying and capturing talent across the south of England for the club’s academy age groups.
Walker’s LinkedIn activity further underlines his active leadership role — he has been publicly advertising for both casual and full-time scouting positions across the UK on behalf of City Football Group, signalling his growing oversight of the wider recruitment operation even before the formal announcement of his new title.
His role at Manchester City
In his new capacity as Head of Academy Scouting and Recruitment, Walker will oversee City’s entire academy talent identification network — a sprawling operation that spans regional, national, and international scouting. His remit covers the identification and acquisition of players across all academy age groups, from pre-academy right through to under-18 level.