Austin MacPhee, a former Scotland assistant coach, is set to join Xabi Alonso's backroom staff at Chelsea after agreeing to a move from Aston Villa. The 46-year-old will take on the role of specialist set-piece coach, concluding a five-year tenure in Birmingham.
MacPhee's departure from Villa follows that of player Morgan Rogers, who recently transferred to Stamford Bridge for £117 million. MacPhee, who worked alongside Portugal manager Roberto Martinez at the recent World Cup, has established a strong reputation in football, notably contributing to Aston Villa's successes under Unai Emery, including their Europa League victory last season.
His career began with coaching roles at Cowdenbeath and St Mirren alongside Danny Lennon. MacPhee later served as assistant to Michael O’Neill with Northern Ireland, where he first gained responsibility for set-pieces in June 2014. This focus proved successful, with the team scoring 11 goals from set plays in 10 games to qualify for Euro 2016.
He also coached at Hearts under Ian Cathro and briefly served as caretaker manager in 2019. MacPhee was part of Steve Clarke's Scotland staff, aiding their qualification for Euro 2024, before stepping down to focus on his duties at Aston Villa and spend more time with his family. Clarke described MacPhee as a "big miss," highlighting his proficiency in set-piece coaching and overall coaching abilities.
At Chelsea, MacPhee will aim to help the club return to Champions League contention after a 10th-place finish last season. Manager Xabi Alonso has received significant backing from the board this summer, with MacPhee's arrival following that of defender Marco Palestra, who joined from Atalanta for approximately £18 million.